It’s time to make a ‘confession’ that will potentially see me getting shunned by some gamers. I have no shame in doing so, though, and I hope that by making this known about myself maybe others will also have the confidence to come forward too. Right, here goes.
Sometimes I play games on Easy difficulty.
Now, before you round up a posse to descend on the comments section and call me a games “journalist” with quote marks (a cutting attack so devastatingly original that it happens… well, every day really), hear me out, because I happen to have very good reasons for this.
There’s no need for me to “git gud”, because I’m happy enough with my current level of "gudness", thanks very much
Firstly, let me get the obligatory credentials out of the way: not for the sake of boasting or anything, but just to eliminate the inevitable “git gud” nonsense that will come with a statement like this. I’ve been gaming for nearly 35 years, I’ve been playing Nintendo games since before the NES even launched in the UK and I’ve reviewed literally thousands of games in a career spanning nearly a decade-and-a-half.
I don’t usually blow my own trumpet because the internet has enough show-offs as it is, but please excuse a little toot-toot in this instance. This isn’t a situation where someone new to gaming is struggling to cope or anything like that: there’s no need for me to “git gud”, because I’m happy enough with my current level of "gudness", thanks very much.
So what’s the main reason? Simply put, life’s too short, and the older I get the clearer this becomes. There used to be a time (mainly when I was in my late teens and early twenties) when I would happily play games all day and night. I still have vivid memories of a three-day Dreamcast binge at my first uni flat in which we played for so long we ended up accidentally inventing Danger Doubles, a four-player version of Virtua Tennis where you had to keep nudging your partner to stop them falling asleep.
I'm now 37 and the idea of pulling an all-nighter – let alone three in a row – is laughable. I'm juggling my freelance work, my own site, my book-writing career, my 9-to-5 job and the small matter of a two-year-old daughter, so free time is very much at a premium these days. I wouldn't change any of it, either: this is my life now, and I'm delighted with it. What it does mean, however, is that I have to be more careful with how I spend what little free time I have. On some nights I'll be lucky to get a spare hour or two to play games, and I need to make that time count. This is where Easy difficulty comes into it.
Many of these people have no problem playing on Hard, even though presumably the true artistic vision would be the Normal difficulty level
When I’m playing games, I want to make sure I’m at least making some sort of progress. I want to turn off my game after my session and be satisfied that I’m working my way towards the end. If it turns out I’ve only got 90 minutes to myself that evening, I don’t want to spend that entire time doing the same level over and over again because of a particularly tricky section. If I’m on the fourth mission and by the end of the night I’m still on the fourth mission, that’s a wasted night in my book. That’s why I’ll happily drop the difficulty: that way I may be on mission seven or eight by the end of the night instead.
Most of these games have stories, too. Most of the time I’m just more interested in seeing where the story goes than in any sort of serious challenge. Various people took the time to write a game’s dialogue, perform that dialogue, create the necessary assets, make an ending and the like. Some of the people who own these games will never see the back halves of them because they’ll bump the difficulty up to Hard, get burnt out playing the same levels multiple times, and move onto a different game before they reach the end.
There will be some who baulk at the idea of an Easy difficulty level, and bleat on about how it ruins the “artistic vision” of the game. Oddly, many of these people have no problem playing on Hard, even though presumably the true artistic vision would be the Normal difficulty level. It seems if you’re willing to make things more difficult than the default you’re doing nothing wrong, but if you want to make things a bit easier you’re somehow spitting in the developers’ faces.
Here’s the deal with artistic visions, though: if I know a game is going to take up a huge chunk of my free time and consist of repeating difficult sections over and over again, I’m probably going to give it a miss entirely and play something else instead. If you’re so concerned about me experiencing a developer’s artistic vision as intended, surely you’d rather I played through it in a slightly easier state than not playing it at all? I’ve never played Dark Souls and I’d absolutely love to because by all accounts the lore is brilliant, but I just don’t have the time to put up with all its cheap tricks; I fully appreciate that many players love that aspect of the game, but I just want to get on with it.
Both my dad and a self-appointed ‘hardcore’ gamer paid the same amount of money for the game, and both thoroughly enjoyed it in their own way
There are degrees to this, of course. It’s not like I want the game to play itself or anything like that. You may remember features like the Super Guide in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the Cosmic Guide in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where the game will offer to play through a level for you if you can’t beat it. I’ll always turn something like that down because that’s taking it too far in my opinion (although, crucially, I’d always fight to keep it in there, because others may need it and who am I to decide where the line is?).
That’s the whole point, I suppose: difficulty is subjective. What might be considered too hard for you may be a cakewalk for me, or vice versa. My dad loves his Xbox One and particularly loves the Call of Duty campaigns, but if they didn’t have the easier ‘Recruit’ difficulty levels, he’d have given up on playing them a long time ago. As it is he’s played through practically all of them and loved every minute of it. And here’s the secret: him doing that had absolutely zero impact on people playing through it on Veteran difficulty. Both my dad and a self-appointed ‘hardcore’ gamer paid the same amount of money for the game, and both thoroughly enjoyed it in their own way. That’s how it should be.
Naturally, there are plenty of times when I don’t play on Easy. Whenever I’m reviewing a game for Nintendo Life, my own site or anyone else, I always play through it on its default difficulty: after all, it’s only fair to judge games on what the developer feels is the best way to play it. And there are still times when I actually feel like a challenge and I’ll pop on Mega Man 2 or play something online.
People play games for different reasons. Some play them because they want to test their abilities, others play them to relax and escape the stresses of the real world. I’m very much in the latter camp these days. I’m at the point in my gaming life where I no longer feel the need to justify my skill level: I’m content knowing that I’m good enough to play through a difficult game if I ever need to. It’s just that, right now, I really don’t want to: I’d much rather make my way through my backlog and enjoy a bunch of shorter, simpler adventures than spend a while slowly making progress on just one of them.
Ultimately, my message should be an obvious one (but it isn’t, because the internet). You play your games your way, and let me play my games my way. I don’t question the young bucks who still have enough free time to pump 30 hours into a game on a weekend and test their skills to the limit; if you’re enjoying the challenge, go for it. Just appreciate that not everyone is in the same boat and many of us just like to sail ours on the river without going through the rapids and over the waterfalls. As I approach my 40s, life gives me enough stress without the games I play adding to it.
Comments 309
Aka The John Wick mode
Maybe soon they’ll make it so games just play themselves then we won’t have to worry about difficulty at all.
Nothing to do with artist vision, more to do with engagement. If I'm pushing forward and spamming buttons with a cloak of invulnerability through a 20+ hour storyline...then I think my time is best served watching a film. It's 1/10th of the time, the stories are better and the graphics are amazing!
I feel like I forget this sometimes and end up in normal mode malaise where I can't get past a section but instead of switching to easy (which would be "cheating") I just give up, or repeatedly butt heads with it and waste what little gaming time I have these days. So, I guess I'm off to dig out some of "those" games and give them a go on easy.
I'm prepared to be hated for this... but I think Cuphead (one of the most beautiful games ever made) should have an easy mode. The absence of this, honestly, has ensured many players will never see it all.
Difficulty varies from game to game of course but in most games I find 'Normal' to be like easy mode and 'Easy' to be too easy to be fun mode, so I'll end up choosing Normal if I want a cruisy time or if I'm not very confident in what I'm playing or Hard if I want more of a challenge (or have heard that Normal is too easy). If others want to play on Easy mode though then that's fine with me. None of my business how anyone else chooses to experience their games. The modes are all there for a reason.
This is a very adult take that I can identify with.
Playing games is not a job.
Playing games is not a skill.
Playing video games should be fun. If easier makes it fun, then good.
I'm perfectly happy with people playing on whatever difficulty they want to. Personally, I play on the hardest difficulty I'm able to as I enjoy the challenge, but completely understand that many players don't get the same enjoyment from it.
I don't exactly have a lot in my life that I'm proud of, and have been through some terrible experiences (depression, trauma, losing my father to suicide and spending time in hospital for multiple attempts myself, etc.), and games have always been a way for me to keep going through all the hard times.
I feel a sense of accomplishment in my life when I overcome a hard challenge in a game, as sad as that may sound to some people, and it gives me hope that I'll be able to experience the same accomplishment in a real-world situation.
Hard difficulties and challenges are my own form of inspiration, in a similar vein to why I'm a completionist. It's something I can take control of, something I can achieve with enough effort and determination, and I use those boosts to my self-confidence to better myself in life.
I know many people will probably think I'm quite silly for putting a lot of my self-worth in to something as trivial as a video game, but it helps me.
Some games have really enjoyable and satisfying gameplay where easy mode doesn’t take away from that. Like Doom. I am also finding I now prefer to get through games quicker especially with the back log due to the amount of games the Switch has.
I will confess to using easy modes on games. Mainly because I don't have much playing time now. Some games I've enjoyed so much I've gone back to play on though at higher difficulty though so I do get my monies worth.
Games are supposed to be fun, I think a challenge is part of the fun.
But people have different skill levels, free time, etc. So I don't see a problem if people want to lower the difficulty.
Anyone who decides to attack anyone for going on easy should really grow up. Why would you care? Let people enjoy it their way, they paid for it like anyone else
If there is an easy mode I play it! I’m trash! Xx
@Muddy_4_Ever I feel you on that. I'm intrigued by Cuohead, Shovel Knight, Hollow Knight, etc. But I am so terribly bad at those Metroidvania/Bullet hell style games I know that if I picked one of them up, I would just get too frustrated, and it would seriously sap my enjoyment of the game. I'm still sitting in at the beginning of the secret ending for Cave Story, because despite trying and trying and trying, I never even got halfway to the final boss.
Really depends on the genre for me. If you want to play Mario or Zelda on easy mode, I don't think it makes much difference. Or a story-driven game like The Last of Us.
But something like Dark Souls really does need to be hard. You can't turn something like that into a quick and accessible experience without fundamentally destroying its core appeal. The fact that so many people originally find it hard, but then get to a point where a new understanding clicks, and everything makes sense, that's a crucial part of the experience and it's why so many people loved it.
I'm definitely in that late 30's with kids camp where I get maybe an hour a night to game. And that's assuming I don't fall asleep while playing. Considering how many half finished games are in my backlog, I may take you up on this advice.
@JHDK Anyone ridiculing others for playing on lower than "normal" difficulty deserves ridicule.
Thanks for emphasizing the point in this article
@Yorumi "Finally if an easy mode is so important to the point that you don't want to experience what the devs designed then why not just watch a lets play?"
Maybe cause the option to play how the devs designed it still exists?
I can get behind that notion. I noticed myself opting to lower the difficulty if I'm stuck in an overly difficult (and/or unfair) section of a game. It's either that or quitting the game and moving on to another game. With so many games available to play, it's just not worth the hassle and I'm also at a point in my life where I don't feel like I have to prove something by sticking with a game.
With that being said, not every game is for everyone and people should accept that instead of trying to force developers to be as "inclusive" as possible. Take the good old Dark Souls for example. While I'm not opposed to offering difficulty options, I don't see the point. The entire gameplay loop is based on getting that adrenaline rush of overcoming a challenging fight. Take that away by making the game easier and you are left with a very unsatisfying experience. The proof is right there via online play which is fun to play with friends but doesn't offer a rewarding experience whatsoever.
Seeing how many times Xenoblade has asked me if I would like to try casual mode, I may have something to learn from this article. So far I’ve scoffed at being called a filthy casual by a video game. I’m really feeling the story, but I suck at managing my team.
The combat in Xenoblade is a distraction from the story for me, but in something like Bayonetta I’m waiting for the cutscene to be over so I can start button mashing combos again.
The difficult gameplay in Bayonetta or Mario Maker are what makes the game for me. An easy mode there would feel like “cheating” but in Xenoblade it might feel a lot more like a helping hand. It just depends on the game and how I like it’s flavor of gameplay and story.
I don’t have time to play games any more.
Plays games I’ve already beaten before.
@JHDK Anyone making fun of people that find games hard should not have the right to ridicule, and deserves to be ridiculed.
I almost never play on hard unless Normal is too easy. I tend to bump the difficulty up if there's some in-game reward for doing so (such as higher Grade scores for manual control and higher difficulty in Tales games) but if it's just for the sake of making it harder, unless the game is miserably easy on Normal mode, that's where I stay. I tend to avoid Easy only because I don't want to be bored. But I also don't want to drive myself crazy playing games that are too hard (hence why I will probably never finish Cuphead or even pick up Seikiro or any Soulsborne type game).
But I don't judge others for their choices no matter what. Games are supposed to be fun. Do you. If you like playing on Easy, that's great. If you like playing on Hard, that's great too. It really shouldn't be anyone else's concern how an individual chooses to play (or watch) their gaming.
It seems like the older I get the more I like to play games on an easier difficulty. So many games are going for a hardcore challenge, where even the medium difficulty is meant to test your pattern recognition or have you slowly hack away at bullet sponge enemies. Heck even some racing games just make the AI way too difficult or sports games expect you to be great at the sport.
It's like I don't have anything to prove by playing video games, I have no need for high difficulty bragging rights or claims to fame for playing a game at a certain difficulty level. I am just trying to relax and have fun, and if that means playing a game on easy so be it.
@Trickbaby14 yeah most mobile games just throw money at them
Personally I lowered the difficulty on Doom and Wolfenstein on Switch, not because I couldn't "git gud" enough, but because to me it's insane and unacceptable that a game forces you to wait 15+ seconds to reload the exact same level you were on, every single time you die, and specially on games that you are expected to die a lot. Eventually that becomes frustrating and if I just want to experience the story or explore the worlds, I'm fine with lowering the difficulty. It's a better option than skipping the game entirely out of frustration.
EDIT: I'd also add another method of lowering the difficulty is using a guide, which is something I've done for games that are designed around a lot of trial an error and I just didn't feel engaged enough to keep wasting time retrying things myself just to guess what the game intended me to find out.
As long as I think the difficulty is "fair", I have no problem with difficult games. For instance, I can handle Hollow Knight just fine, but I can't stand the randomized elements in some of the Cuphead bosses. It really all depends on how well the gameplay is developed.
All of this said, Celeste is a game that absolutely nailed the balance of difficulty and accessibility. The challenge was crucial to the storytelling but the assist modes gave the player just the bump they needed to get through an especially tough spot and not have to give up on the game.
@JHDK Anyone who makes fun of people that use easier modes to make themself feel special deserves ridicule. edit: by them I meant the people making fun of the people using easy mode.
@nab1 Yeah to me frustration is what it all comes down to. I just don't enjoy games when they go out of their way to be frustrating. I get how some people seem to really enjoy that as a challenge to overcome, but for me it can get in the way of enjoying what a game has to offer. It's like life can be stressful enough, and I don't need my video games to be a high stress environment.
I wholeheartedly agree with this article as an aging gamer with kids, a job and other hobbies. I personally tend to play at normal but if I feel that I am not enjoying something because of a difficulty spike I will drop a difficulty level. I don’t play for the kudos and accolades.
I think it is great there are tough games out there for those that like them. I played Sekiro and barely got a third through it because my reaction times just weren’t good enough. Anyone that says you have to play for blah blah blah challenge is missing on accessibility for games. I had someone on a thread once tell me because I wish I could drop the difficulty on Sekiro because I loved the game but wasn’t good enough, that if I couldn’t beat bosses I shouldn’t game. I told them that I saw a guy on YouTube do Sekiro in a no death run so therefore what is the point of playing if you aren’t THAT good? No reply. Unless playing professionally or competitively , enjoy games how you like.
I generally play games on Normal difficulty and I usually enjoy a challenging game. However, with limited game time, I'm not opposed to playing an easier difficulty if I feel the game is wasting my time yet I want to see it through to the end.
To me it depends on how difficult the game is. For instance if a game "on normal" is very difficult, I usually reduce the difficulty to easy or sometimes even very easy. Where easier games often go to hard difficulty.
And if I like the game a lot, after playing it on easy I usually put it on normal / hard for the second playthrough.
@scully1888
Great Article and just talks out of my sould.... I have the same opinion together with my brother we somtimes talk exactly about that.
I am now 40 and played since my 8 or 9th birthday... I have earnd my "reputation" with games like the Wizzard & Warriors series, Fotress of fear or Spiderman on Gameboy or all Platinum medals in Blast Corps.... Mega Man 1-10 + X Series
But now I have a full time job, my daughter is 3 years old, I have a shirt lable side proyect and sometimes I like to dj music... and I want to spend quality time with my wife and with family & friends...
And it is exactly the point "I want to enjoy a game in the spare time I have" and when I play sometimes 2 or 3 hours at night I want to see a progress. Some games like Witcher 3 (whis is not difficult but really meaty) take me around 3 months to complete...
I like a challange for example in Hollow Knight, and I finished with the proper ending... but I do not all the extra Bosses...
In Celeste I did stop with b-sides, because instead of fighting throug one Level in trial & error I have 20 Games wating in my backlog.
If I would be 16 and on vacation I totally would sink in a game and squeze out everything untill there is no drop of gameplay left... but nowadays I want to enjoy games - somtimes with all endgame, somtimes just story but always just as long as I feel entertained and worth the "little" time I have for my hobby.
Thanks for the great article!
Started happening to me around age 16, less time for games but the kicker is that I simply couldn't play for more than an hour a day before I start feeling meh.
Other issues I have are with games that force you to explore and therefore waste more time, which is fine but if you just want to work your way through the backlog then it becomes a problem.
Often times I find myself replaying old games 'cause I know exactly what to do, and can interrupt the playthrough at any time.
Many hard games are just difficult because of crap controls and/or unfair situations.
Play games for fun. Games are meant to be fun. I find certain hard games like Dark Souls fun but I also love a good simulator. I’ve played games on Easy that I just wanted to experience the story and I’ve played games on Hard when I want a challenge. Choice is literally the easiest thing in the world to implement and benefits everybody. Anybody having a hissy fit needs to take a long hard look at themselves.
Depend on the games.
I played Easy levels on games like Ratchet & Clanks series,
But i played until the most difficult level on Dance Dance Revolution games.
The hardest level on DDR during PS1 era was pretty easy for me.
The hardest level on DDR during DDR MAX - Extreme was kinda challenging but still passable.
The hardest level on DDR SUPERNOVA until DDR X was really tough. I couldn't even pass the level 18 songs on DDR SUPERNOVA 1 & 2 with their strict penalty for life bar depletion, but it has changed drastically become easier since DDR X era.
Started from DDR X2 era, it was very shocking challenge. The level 19 DDR song. Valkyrie Dimension was the first of the hardest DDR song ever on DDR X2.
I could pass level 19 DDR song as long i stepped all the deadly quick arrows pattern during 1/4 song.
Not every level 18 DDR songs i could pass due to their BPM changes, very tiring stepchart, too many jumps, ridiculous arrow positions, etc.
@Muddy_4_Ever I agree. I made a post about this a few days back when they released the latest update and as expected, some people took issue with it. I just don’t understand how it is that anyone cares that much about the way other people do a thing.
Considering I am a dad gamer I am often tempted by this (time and console access) but the story has to be ultra amazing for me to want to just blast through. So it's usually normal for me mostly.
I'm also not one of those who would want to play a game on hard or hardest mode unless I super enjoyed the game.
I have no problem with anyone wanting to do easy mode. The articles makes some good points. Just play.
YES! YESSS!! All of this! Loved this piece chris. Im 32 and I've been saying this to myself mostly, because as you said, " the internet," that I don't simply have the time to replay the same darned level over and over and over again. I sold my dark souls copy. Spent 10-12 hours and got only to a few areas. It just so frustrating and I finally got tired of it. Having a family and full time job, kids stuff etc, I use that gaming time so preciously. Ill attempt games on normal if there's a chance to change the difficulty at anytime, but if I know I'm stuck with that decision, I may put it on easy to be safe.
Some games I automatically put on easy since I get too worked up. For instance right now I'm playing RE6 on easy. Sure I can change it, but im really enjoying it this way. If it doesn't give me a choice like re4, ill still play thru it just fine, which I did.
I played thru every mission or chapter in XC:DE except the last as it was just too hard for me. I finally flipped it to easy, had a little bit a challenge and finished the game where it could've taken me hours or maybe days to finish that last chapter.
I did the same with ff7s final boss and the last couple parts in ff9. I used the assist feature to finish off those two games right at the end. Had that not been there, I would've never seen the end,barring watching it on YT.
So im glad you wrote this. Play games how you want to play and the same goes for everyone. If i need to flip to easy, lemme be, doods and dudettes 😁( not that anyone gave me a hard time though lol).
I am 36 and don’t have time to be punished by games. I never beat Dark Souls - I couldn’t beat a boss late in the game and gave up. If I could‘be turned the difficulty down to get through that section I probably would’ve played the whole way through. It’s a shame because I was enjoying it until that point.
I didn’t enjoy Bayonetta on ‘Normal’ because it felt like the game was playing itself and I was just mashing buttons occasionally.
I’ve just finished God of War on easy, spiderman on Normal and now playing HZD on easy.
Just pick the level that makes the game fun for you.
I’m too busy with life, social commitments and running my own business to struggle over one section of a game for hours upon end.
Saying all that I loved Super Meat Boy, Celeste, and Hollow Knight - all of which were savagely difficult
Celeste is a masterclass in how difficulty options should be handled. You shouldn't feel slighted by the game playing on the easiest setting
This is why I dislike any new sim sports games. They want to make it realistic, and for me, is not fun anymore. They current day Madden is too complicated. I love the older NFL street and blitz type games.
@GrailUK This.
Likewise, if I'm playing a game and watching someone powerful do amazing things fluidly in cutscenes, but then sputters to do anything in gameplay (see: Devil May Cry, Doom, etc.), that's equally immersion breaking and poor design.
Difficulty has a place but it needs to be as well-crafted as the rest of the game. Smash 4's No Lives Lost achievement (given that there are instantly spawning items which can easily kill you without warning) and Cave Story's Running Hell falling blocks room on Hard will forever damage those games.
Here's the thing... some of my absolute favorite games are Dark Souls, Cuphead, and Hollow Knight. Not because they're easy for me but because I had to really challenge myself to beat them.
If I could have lowered the difficulty in those 3 games, I absolutely would have. But I don't think I would have enjoyed them nearly as much. Reaching the point where I nearly gave up but then just had to keep pushing through was what made those such incredible experiences.
Play it on whatever makes the $60 enjoyable and Fun.
Even when game designers think I should not have a choice on a single player game - That is what WeMod (PC) and Save Wizard (PS4) are for.
I get to overrule anyone “artistic vision” once I pay for it.
This article is just enabling weakness
I find that the more challenging a Fire Emblem game is, the more fun I end up having from a completed battle with no casualties. On easy mode, it just feels like pressing through a bunch of dialogue boxes and using your soldiers as immortal fodder. To clear maps.
But in Three Houses, you better believe I took the easy road the first time. I was already planning to go through all 3 story lines, and I'm prone to spend all night long playing the same map over and over again until I successfully get each treasure chest, glowing spot, and get everyone out alive.
Whereas on easy, I can blow past an entire calendar month in one long single session. I prefer the challenge, but it's hard to argue the merits of actually completing a game in a reasonable amount of time.
I’ve been gaming since 1985, and have played and beaten some of the hardest games NES/SNES/Génesis had to offer. I feel I’ve paid my dues when it comes to game difficulty, so I’m not ashamed to say that I’ll play games on easy from time to time so I can either learn the mechanics easier or just enjoy the story. That said, there are still highly challenging games out there that I enjoy, like cuphead, dark souls, etc, or boosting difficulty on a game I love - like running through Resident Evil 7 on Madhouse.And I still go back and play NES/SNES games from time to time still for fun.
Completely echo the sentiments of this article. I don't really see how anyone could argue against it. I mean, if Dark Souls had an Easy mode, those looking for a serious challenge could still play and enjoy it on harder difficulties.
Normally, I feel crushing shame if I play a game on easy. But I've had to make an exception recently. About a month ago, I finally bought Astral Chain. My brain just really has trouble managing controlling two characters at once (and there's several aspects of the game's controls that really aggravate me). Anyway, on regular difficulty, it goes from worthy challenge to ****ing impossible as soon as I run into a boss. I've found I have to play on easy to get past the bosses, and if there wasn't an easy mode, I would have already traded the game in.
Good piece, and yeah, gaming is meant to be fun, however you see it.
As much as I loved Dark Souls and Cuphead, I wouldn't mind having a totally optional easier more for those games. You can argue it might hurt the appeal or the point of those game, but it would be optional. For those who want to play on the original difficulty for Souls or Cuphead can still do so.
Never understood why so many people got upset at the totally optional gold suit or w/e it was in the NSMB games.
@KryptoniteKrunch Need easy mode for Dark Souls? Play a pyro or a mage. EZ! lol
When I die, I know people will be real impressed when my obituary states: "He completed a lot of video games, and never on easy."
I am in a similar boat as far as my stage in life. I've been gaming for 35+ years, I feel like I have played my fair share of difficult games. I am in my 30's, married, work a 9-5, am working on a master's degree part time, and am involved with my professional organizations. I'm lucky to get 10 hours a week for gaming.
I usually start with the default difficulty and adjust from there as necessary. Especially when looking at how much time so many of the "AAA" games take to complete anymore, I am not interested in grinding boring content simply for the sake of XP. I even take it one step further when it comes to finishing games. When I was younger, I felt compelled to see every last pixel the game had to offer, regardless if I was actually enjoying it. These days, I will happily shut a game off and move on if I am not enjoying it at least moderately. The old "make it through the first 10 hours, and it gets better!" (or with TV/books, the first season or first novel, etc.) is simply time wasted. I want those couple hours a week to count, because it is a very real possibility I will not play anything else for another week.
That's not to say I don't 100% games when I am really enjoying them, or enjoy a challenging game if I am in the mood, but it is less likely I go for those.
Some people like to wear their "difficulty" as a badge of honor, and they turn it into some weird elitist thing and use it as a way to put others down. Obviously, that's not cool. There's a difference in pride and arrogance.
I think it's entertaining when I either a) perform something difficult in a game well, and b) watch someone perform something difficult in a game. For some, difficulty can add to the fun. For others, it's a detraction.
As someone that will play games like Dark Souls with self imposed limitations, I can say that for me, doing that sort of stuff adds to the fun. However, there are times where I will want to play something less tense and more relaxing. Depends on mood. I've been on a real Skyrim mood lately, which is a million times easier than Dark Souls. I just like making new character builds and exploring the systems they have set up, and of course, enjoying the nice environments.
What I don't like is when a person is "locked out" of enjoying a game, because there isn't some sort of easy or assist mode. As much as I love Dark Souls for the difficulty, as well as the mood and setting, I would love it more if they opened it up with some form of assist mode or easy mode so that more people can enjoy the unique setting and dreamy lore.
Same would go for other games, as well. Cuphead is just screaming for an easy mode. I think Ikaruga did it right, because that game is known for it's balls-hard difficulty, but it has an easy mode so slow-pokes like me can enjoy farting around in it.
Just saying, it doesn't take away from a game to include multiple difficulty modes. It adds another layer to things, and creates an environment where more people can enjoy, and less people are locked out due to skill level differences.
For something like a fighter where you are just killing the CPU and not getting any better you are basically just creating busy work for yourself. If you are not challenged and you are actually feeling fulfilled from beating a game than there is something wrong with you.
Given that games like Detroit become human are inherently extremely easy and more just about the story so those are still a decent example of easy mode style games that are fun. I never really get a hell yeah feeling from beating it though, just enjoy the story.
One thing that make's it nice to have an easy mode is this: You buy a game and discover it's merely OK. You enjoy it just enough to want to play it to the end, but not enough to want to sink serious time into it. That's what happened when I played Ninja Gaiden on Wii U.
However, this is one thing that makes me suspicious of games where you can switch difficulty on the fly. I've played games on normal and been doing OK until I hit a section that's bonkers hard. After a while, I give up and switch to easy to get past it. Then I go back to normal difficulty and the game goes back to being challenging but beatable. I really think easy mode allows lazy developers to release games that essentially have broken difficulty curves. "We could fix it, or you know, they could just switch to easy."
@doctorhino There's nothing wrong with passing the time with relaxing entertainment. You don't get to choose what is fulfilling for others, and while you can sit back and judge them, your judgement is not an indication of the person, but an indication of your lack of understanding of the person you are throwing shame at.
IGN have been talking about this plenty this year on Game Scoop. I thought it would be common sense that it's fine, especially nowadays when people are so busy with kids and work and there are so many games to play!
@Cheski Same. When I was a kid, it was easy to throw dozens of hours at a difficult game, but these days with work/life balance, professional decisions, family and married life, why would I want to spend that much time anymore? It's fun, but interacting with the real world is MORE fun, and much more fulfilling.
darksouls 1 isnt even that hard
I relate to a lot of this article. Time is precious, and I do frequently play on easy mode, especially when I'm just trying to coast through and enjoy a game's story. However, when the author asks if I'd rather they experience Dark Souls on an easier setting than not at all, my answer is no. The challenge is intrinsic to that game's design, and if you're not willing to face it and win anyway then that game is not for you, full stop. That should be okay. It should be okay to have games that don't bend and that offer a challenge to be overcome. Some games are a skill to be learned and mastered, and the pursuit of that challenge teaches valuable lessons about practice and perseverance, and that's undermined by just adjusting the world to reflect your personal ability. Accessibility is appropriate for many games, indeed I would say the majority of games should be as accessible as possible, but not ALL games. An easy mode would cheapen Souls in the same way that a ski lift would cheapen Mt. Everest.
The best argument for an easy mode is accessibility. Some people are physically incapable of getting "gud."
However, I do value difficulty in games. Some of the most transcendent experiences I've had in the medium are connected with challenge, testing my limits, etc.
But the argument, the spiel, around difficulty is off base. It's not about a badge of honor, it's not about boasting online. It's about the discipline, the insistence, the perseverance, the self-improvement necessary to bring down bosses in Dark Souls or Hollow Knight. It's about the true sense of adventure and danger you feel when crossing the overworld in the original Legend of Zelda. It's about you and about how meaningful difficulty can be in a videogame.
It should be a positive argument, not a weapon to bludgeon casuals with.
In that sense, I agree with the author of the article. We should argue in favor of difficulty, not against those who'd rather chill on a Saturday night. That's their prerogative.
I feel like I've never really seen many if any people giving out about the difficulty people play on. Sure, there's online banter where people mock you if you suck and all that jazz, but I'd like to think people don't take that seriously. I like how this piece was mainly an advertisement for how busy the author is though 🤣 can't fault a bit of horn blowing I guess! Lol
As others have said, if you play games to get through the story and watch it unfold and if time is so much of the essence then you are honestly much better served by other mediums. Books and films for instance.
I'm fine with difficulty settings, but please just default to one. I shouldn't have to choose whether I want a tougher or easier challenge before I even play the game. Put the difficulty slider in the settings. Nintendo games have been good with this atleast.
And it is up to the gamer whether they feel shame for lowering the difficulty, the same way we feel that slight sense of shame when looking up a walkthrough video on youtube to help us get through a level. Either way, you took the easy way out
@sixrings My wife and I bought our own house through our own hard work, but I appreciate your concern regardless ❤
Nope, easy mode is for losers. Everyone knows that. Sarcasm is for wieners.
You know gaming culture is messed up when this needs to be said at all.
I'm approaching 40 myself, and while once I mastered all the Megaman's and Megaman X's, and 100%ed all the games I played, these days I just want something to unwind with at the end of a trying day.
@scully1888 good work. Now start using that work ethic to play games at "normal" difficulty. You might as well watch a YouTube walkthrough when you play on easy mode.
@scully1888 why would you even respond to that? He's obviously a troll. If you don't have a lot of free time why bother with the comment section on a website?
Play games however you like and don't give a damn about what anyone else thinks about it.
Personally I just play on normal mode for all games except for fighting games where I start at normal then move up in difficulty as it is good practice for playing online.
What I love is New Game+ mode where I can play same difficulty level but am now overpowered to ridiculous levels and feel like a superhero. Resident Evil 4 is the prime example where I just blast through the game with upgraded health and weapons destroying those poor Ganados. Great fun.
Anyone judging others on what difficulty they play their games are sad acts with their own personal issues to sort out.
@sketchturner Unfortunately, it's not the same motivation for everyone, which is why I whole-heartedly encourage Normal and Impossible / Legendary / etc. Modes at a minimum in games of certain genres where appropriate (e.g. sports games or platformers like Kirby, Mario, Sonic, etc. have no inherent need for such).
@sixrings
No one cares bud.
@Kieroni took me a literal month of on and off trying to get through that secret final section, not to mention the boss itself. You are not alone
@sixrings Dood, why even double and triple down on a petty insult when it didn't give you the response you wanted the first time. You can't even troll effectively. Play a game, have some fun.
@scully1888 Good read, as always
This, so much this. As much as I'd love to go back to how things were when I had school holidays, finished the school day at 3:10pm and could play all evening and 100% a game on hard difficulty and feel like I've really gotten every penny of worth from a game, that ship has long sailed. Now gaming for me is very similar to how Chris described; finding the time to chisel a little off the back catalogue, difficulty be damned.
I always play on 'normal' the first time through, because I presume that's the mode the developers intended as the experience, then added other adjusted modes.
@sixrings im pretty sure youll take his reviews seriously. In fact, i think you take everything too seriously judging by all of your comments in threads and sections.
But hey! Maybe you can use this as a lesson to not comment on something you clearly have no clue about such as calling someone a millennial. Good luck, dude. Hopefully your next post actually hits the nail on the head! 😃
Seeing the reactions of people to a very well written article on why some people might not want to play the way they do makes me glad the elitists are a minority in gaming. Glad blokes like Scully can just enjoy playing the game the way they want while the critics are busy w%nking each other in to a frenzy about how good they are. Surprised we haven't seen more 'i finished Mega Man 2 at 3 years old don't get what the big deal is thought everyone could do it' stories in the comments.
I hate difficulty options. I have to take the hard mode always, because I feel like I'm missing out on the true experience, if I don't.
This is a fantastic article. These days, I want to just "chill and play" some games without getting stuck on the same levels over and over again. And as mentioned, who has time for this. I couldn't agree more with your point of view.
Sometimes I just want to play Mario Kart and not be bogged down by trying to get all 1st placed slots to get the gold trophies. Been there done that.
I also play Halo 5's "heroic" warzone, standard mode, the harder difficulties are just ridiculously overpowered against the player.
Great article!
@bluemage1989 Word. Isn't all supposed to be about the players' individual experience, anyway? Thank goodness for options.
@sixrings can’t wait for you to get banned from the site. You’re so vindictive and rude; it’s almost hilarious seeing you pretend you have anything of value to contribute here or anywhere else for that matter. Nothing you do say or think holds relevance.
Gatekeeping by the fans of any form of entertainment is a scourge. If you personally don’t want to play games on easy, then don’t. It’s that simple. Berating others for enjoying a game they way they like it best is as ridiculous as it is unwelcome.
@nintendope64 @sixrings Because I take a pride in my work and an interest in my articles and always read the responses to them.
@DoktorTotenKopf thanks man. Appreciate the honesty. Stay safe.
I don’t see why anyone would care. It has no effect on your enjoyment of a game if I choose to play or not play on easy. It has no effect on my enjoyment of a game if you choose to or not to play on easy. Priorities and perspectives need to be kept in check. It’s a video game. Not a job or life or death situation
@Onkel_Laser That's why I don't like the "Hard" moniker. Oh sure, it might have been accurate in something like in early Kirby where, yeah, it was still very possible but incredibly stressful. And even Sakurai had the wisdom to call that "Extra" Mode. Kirby's Dream Course has an "Extra" Mode, and, yep, sure enough, I will never ever touch that mode unless I'm sent to Mars or something. So, I'm glad it's labeled "Extra" as if to imply "Optional." Not "Hard" which carries a connotation of a good chance of clear possibility, leading to false-elitism noise like we're seeing with the fools being replied to in the most recent few comments.
Here's a tip, ya nutters — talk about your achievements in something that isn't a child's entertainment product. If you're even capable of such.
@bluemage1989 I finished Zelda 2 without save states.
ghouls and ghost had a easy setting. Its not that bad if your playing one of the hardest games ever made and put them on easy.
Just watch Let's Plays and let others play for you. Never understood the appeal of casual gaming, no challenge, no intensity. Once in a while? Sure, but to dedicate only to that. Oh god...no...Might as well just watch youtube videos then. Being a hardcore gamer is one thing but to only play casual games, you're missing out on a important factor of video games. Video Games aren't really that much if they can't challenge the player. It's an artform, it is supposed to push you, think differently, see things differently. Don't get that from casual gaming, it's very shallow, sorry to be so frank and type it that way but it's true. Should people be ashamed of it? Not really. Except for one aspect I mentioned further down.
I will add one more dilemma with casual gaming, which goes hand in hand with mobile gaming. If it weren't for those two, we wouldn't be having micro-transactions and the kind of predatory gambling concepts that we see today. In that sense, I think casual gamers should be maybe a bit ashamed as they have enabled companies to do so. Which have ruined the quality of the art form.
@sixrings You really need to get a grip.
@TAndvig
How did people playing a game, any game, on easy lead to microtransactions and gambling mechanics exactly?
No one really cares what you play on. Any sort of gaming achievement whether it be a platinum trophy or 1ccing a shmup should be done for yourself because outside of something like a world record, no one cares but you.
I dont think anyone has ever once asked me what difficulty I played on when I said I finished a game. I've never asked others but they seem to sometimes volunteer the info anyway ("just finished _____ on nightmare.") I guess they expect me to think higher of them, but I really don't care. Do it for yourself or just go easy. I promise it doesn't matter in the end.
@UmbreonsPapa I thought with the pandemic everyone would have the opportunity to get good. Instead people just want to brainlessly work through their backlog pretending they accomplished something. It's ridiculous. Part of gaming is competing against others or competing against the game. This is like saying that the 3DS version of street fighter is great because it has one button presses for fireballs and uppercuts. That's crazy talk. Part of the joy of playing street fighter is mastering these moves. Dumbing everything down, yes it makes it easier to finish games, but you miss the nuance and the excitement from mastering them. If you want to play a relaxed game go play Kirby, Yoshi, or ACNH. For myself I grew up playing NES Mario. That was a kids game which I finished when I was 6 years old without a YouTube tutorial. I also finished Mario 3 in the first 24 hours I owned it. There was an accomplishment there. Sadly I never beat the original TMNT on nes but beating it with a game genie or watching it on YouTube wouldn't have made me happy because that would be like cheating.
@TheFullAndy Because casual games are what mainstreamed that function and business practice. Look at Facebook games like Farmville for example. Or mobile games.
@sixrings your sarcasm doesn’t help you in the slightest, troll.
@sixrings
I did beat TMNT on NES, and I still don't care how others play their games.
Get a life man.
@scully1888 that makes sense. I just wouldn't put stock in the insult of a guy who's clearly just doing it on purpose to annoy you. He has no stock in this situation and is doing it purely to get a response.
People arguing that those who like easy mode are better served by mediums like film/books/television are missing a very crucial point: interaction.
To paraphrase Rob from Playstation Access. "With other forms of media, you get to see what you otherwise couldn't. With games, you get to BE what you otherwise couldn't."
A key aspect of gaming is that it gives you control, and you influence what happens. That boss didn't fall over because the game was prerendered to have the hero defeat him, you controlled the hero and caused that to happen. You don't get that from movies or books.
As for the author's point, I concur. As someone who switches between normal and hard depending on genre and how much time I've got, I can't stand those who look down about those that play on lower difficulty settings. Play the way you want, let others play how they want. It has no effect on you. Developers are not obligated to put an easy mode in their game, but if they decide to then it all comes down to the experience you want. Want to feel the thrill of challenge? Go for it. Want to feel like an unstoppable God on easy? Have at it.
@TAndvig
Not what I asked, this isn't about "casual" games this is about playing games on easy.
Have you misunderstood the article?
To be clear, I don't have any objection to folk playing on any difficulty. But I play games because they are different to films. Their interactivity forces either challenge or play. If folk moan they just want to see the end...then I fear they are steering our hobby in the wrong direction, and will become as staid as the film industry. (And crowbar all that nauseating celeb culture into it to boot.) After all, someone's easy is another persons hard. So there is a sliding scale to this debate. It's not just a blanket easy mode for some.
@ghostwolves Because difficulty very often determines how well of an understanding you get of the game. E.g. You can't really give a good description of enemies in a video game if they played it with casual settings. A game session of a strategy game will have vastly different ai behaviour from the easiest to the medium setting.
I usually go for Normal, but sometimes I change to Easy if necessary. Nothing wrong with that. I play games mostly for fun.
I play easy mode to learn controls and gameplay options. Since they offer no manuals to help users learn. If they included as much the game would be exciting. I can guarantee gamers do use easy mode to learn the games better when starting out.
@sixrings "part of gaming" but definitely not an essential part, whatsoever. If I only play single player games I'm not competing with other at all. So who cares? People can play any way they like.
@TheFullAndy TMNT...you're my hero! People can play however they want. That's fine. But reign in those I accomplished something feelings.
@TheFullAndy No, this is the same thing. Playing something on easy is very much the same as casual gaming. You might not like that because you want to distance yourself a bit from the bottom. But it is true, easy difficulty doesn't give out any challenge so it is the same.
@sixrings
Any examples here of people feeling accomplished?
Who are you to tell anyone how they should feel?
@sixrings Ok. And what is your point or what does any of that prove? I grew up playing the same NES games you did. And I don't see whether I beat them or not has anything to do with how I choose to play a given game. So really, what exactly are you trying to prove?
And with the pandemic, my priorities involve trying to not get me or my family sick. Not really caring whether or not I beat a game on easy or not. Even without a pandemic, I don't give a s**t. It has nothing to do with not being good or wanting to see the end. Some games I don't mind sinking time in. Others, I don't.
@nintendope64 the very nature of a game is that it is challenging. If all you're doing is mindlessly walking through a game practically invincible I'm not seeing how that's fun. The fun is in defeating a challenge. When you guys go to escape rooms do you ask for infinite clues too? Oh wait escape rooms only let you have three clues. Who wants to be a millionaire only gives you three lifelines. Price is right only let's you get a "hole in one or two.".
@TAndvig
You are wrong, it is not the same.
Playing a game, again ANY game, on easy would not have led to companies deciding to use microtransaction or gambling mechanics in their games.
End of.
They screwed up Mario Odyssey by making the core game so easy so that easy gamers could get their fill and then the good gamers had to do after credit challenges. That's silly.
@Yorumi Then find games that satisfies those desires. They're out there. But don't talk down on someone because they like to play on easy. At the end of the day, I don't give a eff what difficulty you play your games on or like to play your games on. Even in the grand scheme of gaming, it's absolutely not a big deal.
I thought my family made things too difficult playing salmon run at 160. On the other hand at least it's a challenge and we feel an accomplishment when we beat a level. People here act like playing on level 10 gives you the same feeling.
@sixrings
Mate you halfn't half been talking out of one of your six rings in this comments section.
@sixrings Why can't @scully1888 do what they want to do with their spare time?
@nintendope64 Trust me, I never put stock in abusive responses I'll sometimes have a bit of fun with them but don't worry: as the article states, I'm comfortable enough with where I'm at in my career and my gaming that I don't worry about people having a go.
@Yorumi The article doesn't say anything of the sorts nor do I see that sentiment in the article. I certainly never said it No one (on here at least) is asking for every game to be made easy. What I am saying is that how you choose to play your and what difficulty you play your games on has no bearing on how I play my games and what difficulty they're played on and vice versa. So again, why would or should anyone care enough to lose their crap or get bent out of shape because folks choose to play a game or game in general on easy?
@Yorumi Why does it bother you if a game offers a lesser difficulty option? It opens the game for more people to enjoy it, thereby allowing the game to find additional sales success, ensuring the IP can stick around. Everyone wins. Complaining that there’s an easy option is ridiculous.
@sixrings Fun fact: I legitimately did beat TMNT on the NES back in the day. Took me bloody months to master it but I did it. But that was when I had months to spare, because I was a kid. This may alarm you, but I never got a medal in the mail for it or anything. If you want to pat yourself on the back for beating Super Mario Bros 3 in a day when you were a kid, go for it. I rented the Master System version of Ghouls n Ghosts and beat that in a day too. It doesn't have any bearing on the point I'm making in this article, though.
@sixrings it's not that hard to understand. Challenging games and modes are there for people when they want to be challenged. Easier modes are there for people when they are short of time and want to see everything a game has to offer.
This article doesn't really warrant this amount of discussion. Like I said before, it's been talked about on IGN loads, and me and my friends have been talking about it for years, especially since we all had kids.
People can play the way they want once the game is in their possession. There's really no point being bothered by that or trying to argue about it.
@TheFullAndy What the hell are you even on about. I am saying there is a strong correlation between easy difficulty and casual games. Playing games on easy IS casual and casual gaming is a behaviour that has led us to microtransactions.
There are several thousands of evidence pointing to this, some of the very first games to implement this business decision are casual games and mobile games. to appeal to people who DOESN'T LIKE A CHALLENGE, i.e. people who like things to be EASY or in other terms, casual gamers. So yes, having the behaviour of playing games casually is having the behaviour that have led to this.
Christ.....
@Kieroni I hear you: I’ve never been able to complete the secret ending! I eventually gave up and watched it on YouTube
@TAndvig Except mobile games with microtransactions don’t prey on a lack of skill but rather a lack of patience. Most of them ease the player in with rapid progression and then come to screeching halt which requires either the player to wait days and weeks to progress or pay up. The kind of people playing and spending money on Candy Crush aren’t the same people playing Fire Emblem or Xenoblade on an easier difficulty.
@scully1888 that's brilliant. Sorry I misinterpreted it as being bothered. I've no doubt that your experience trumps some internet comments, I didn't mean to sound condescending.
@sixrings Whenever I bump a game down to Easy to save time, I'm going to imagine you hopping about getting really cross about it and turning purple. I think I'll cheese past the Lost Sphear Waste Toad now just for the fun of it.
@TAndvig
Nope you are entirely incorrect.
Microtransactions started as soon as consoles were able to to connect online and publishers realised they could now recieve an extra stream of revenue. Don't remember microtransations making single player games easy for anyone?
Loot boxes/gambling mechanics started with mobile gaming as people wouldn't pay full price for games and they had to get their money from somewhere. Then scum like EA jumped at it as another way to make easy money. Don't remember loot boxes making a singler player game easier for anyone?
Games having an easy mode and people playing games on easy mode has nowt to do with it. People playing on easy does not equal a casual gamer who will then willingly hand over money to progress in a game.
Games have had easy modes since the NES days.
So again, you are wrong.
@Yorumi I do agree that games have gotten easier over time, but ones with dedicated easy and hard modes are what I was talking about here (and were also the focus of the original article). The casual mode in Fire Emblem Three Houses doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of nor the challenge of the harder difficulties on offer.
Games progressively getting easier over time is another issue altogether, but that’s not what this discussion and article are about. The way I see it, offering varied difficulty options solves that problem. It’s a win-win.
@MikeHiscoe Playing game can be bother of those things depending on what you're doing...
-and it takes skill and muscle memory to play games well.
@TheFullAndy Microtransactions are and have almost always been used to ease the playing time and difficulty, so you're wrong. This is on casual gaming and the behaviour that have enabled this. If you want to be triggered and pretend like it's untrue. Sure, go ahead. But you're support what has been so far the downfall of games with great quality.
@thesilverbrick Disagree, it's the same type of people. They want to shut of their brains and not think of the game mechanics at play. They are excactly the same.
@Yorumi Why would they "suffer" with an easy mode though? The default difficulty would stay exactly the same. It would make literally no difference to you if there was an optional second mode where, say, you took a little less damage and dealt a little more, just to make boss fights less frustrating for some people.
@TAndvig
You haven't a clue bud.
I can buy 20 games a year for my Switch/PS4 because I want all those games but opt to play some of them on easy as I just want to enjoy the game and don't have much time these days. I am in no way a casual gamer.
Someone buys the new iteration of Fifa each year for their PS4 and that is it, that is the only game they play but they can breeze past the game on the highest difficult and spends hundreds on FUT. They are a casual gamer.
Playing games on easy is not the same as being a causal gamer.
The fact you cannot even make that distinction is why you could never be correct.
Nothing wrong in playing games on Easy Mode, as long as you own it. If you've played through the game on Easy and someone has played through the game on Hard, the experiences have been very different and anyone claiming that playing through a game on Easy would be same as playing through it on a higher difficulty is wrong.
I don't believe many people who criticize this phenomenon have problems with people playing on Easy, but with the attitude many seem to take about it.
@scully1888 I might have to track down a tmnt copy. Two people in one thread beat it. I'm impressed or was the game genie accidentally left in. I like videogame challenges. Perhaps because I played sports that's how I believe they ought to be played to get the joy out of them. It doesn't make sense why a pro would be ok with playing on easy mode. Do NBA players go to the YMCA and have fun beating local JR higher to? Will looks for TMNT though. Thanks for shaming me into becoming a better player.
@sixrings
Based on your comments I am guessing in whatever sport you played you banged your head a lot.
@Yorumi You have completely mistaken the target of @bluemage1989 's derision. Not surprising. One way people gatekeep is by turning their own actions into accusations of others; they try to twist defending difficulty options into an attack on difficulty, hoping that their bad faith attempt at argument will prove impossible to respond to in good faith (and when it is, they'll move the goal posts in another bad faith move). It's similar to trying to spin support for BLM into an attack on white people. Blue Mage was not attacking people who enjoy difficulty, but people who believe that's all people should enjoy. Not people who get good, but people who won't stop saying "git gud". Those people are full of [redacted], and rightly derided; and if you do not perceive that difference, your argument is right rejected.
If I’m going for a bike ride with a friend, I don’t care what gear his or her bike is in at any time, wether it’s higher or lower than mine going up a hill. Just the same with video games, if there’s a “lower gear” and they want to be in it, that’s their natural choice for them and no one should need to comment
@XiaoShao I keep thinking I'll just try the game over from the beginning, but I like your idea better
@Yorumi
"but a single game shouldn't cater to everyone."
Ridiculous comment especially when that may as well be Nintendo's mission statement:
"Games should be for everyone"
Welp, looks like it’s time to read over 160 comments.
People play games for different reasons: challenge, fun, distraction, entertainment, social. So choose the difficulty that matches your reason for playing.
I love easy modes, sometimes with a bit more challenge thrown in, but frustration turns me off completely
I played one game a couple of months ago where it essentially said, ‘looks like you’re a bit crap - shall we lower the difficulty?’ What a blessing!
@Yorumi
Sales figures would suggest otherwise.
Having read your comments it just sounds like you don't like videogames anymore.
@WickedUnicarnBoi It turns in to arguing pretty quickly. 😂
@Yorumi in reality an easy mode doesn’t mean everyone is catered for. There’s no significance or data to that statement. Your conclusions for not wanting an easy mode sound imagined, rather than being the reality of game making and broad game playing.
@Yorumi I appreciated everything you said Yo.
@Yorumi
Games don't appeal because of the game type (sport, fighter, RPG etc) or their perceived quality but not because of a selection of difficulty settings.
I have nothing else to add, this is your issue and you will have to deal with it yourself.
@Yorumi you’re the straw man saying an easy mode caters to everyone. That’s just exaggeration or very loose language for what you’re trying to say. You can’t shut down the argument by saying everyone is now catered to by an extra game mode instead of limited to just yourself and like-willed people. You don’t know who’s accessing an easy mode unless you’re involved with the game.
I've gamed since I was about 8 I'm now 47
My favourite games are the Soulsborne series but I'm still a wimp with CRPG's and will happily play them on easy. Doesn't diminish my enjoyment.
@TheFullAndy nope. Basketball. Concussion free.
There is plenty of shame playing on easy. I wouldnt be able to even sleep at night if I played something on easy. It would be like doing my work sloppy. I cant remember when playing anything on less than hard. And turning off "help" like aiming help and stuff is a given.
Amen! Especially on fighting games with tons of characters to unlock. I remember blasting through Budokai Tenkaichi 2 on Easy in two days to unlock all 100+ characters
@Yorumi you said a single game shouldn’t cater to everyone by having an easy mode. That’s just not reality. It’s the crux of your general argument but you don’t even realize it. You can’t use the word everyone in this discussion.
i am in my forties, and i play games on easy, since i work and do other things as well.
@nessisonett i`m sure those deadset against an easy mode in dark souls arguing it ruins the vision really dont wont to admit they would use it if it existed
I don't have much time either, but I play fewer games instead of playing in easy mode. As long as the easy mode doesn't get in the way (like it did in DKCR and Super Mario 3D World), I don't mind its inclusion much. The only thing I can say against having an easy mode in games is that kids starting out playing games might not experience the joy of overcoming a great challenge if the option is there to skip it. But maybe I'm wrong.
Depends on the game and how well the difficulty level is designed. Something like Fire Emblem I'll whack the difficulty up cos I know I'll enjoy it. But like I really enjoyed playing through Arkham City for example, so then decided to play through again on a harder level, but harder in that game just meant longer, more of the same enimies that you could beat with your eyes closed but every battle took ages and ruined it.
Other times a games gameplay just won't click with me, usually stealthy related stuff, but the story has me intrigued or there's other parts of the game I like.
I don't think there's any shame in lowering a games difficulty. In most cases you're just learning a skill that becomes useless after 20 plus hours that you can't brag about without looking like a tool anyway.
Yup, this is about how I expected this to go.
@scully1888
Evil laugh?
@scully1888 There is always going to be those hardcore gaming elitists who swear by high difficulty being everything. I honestly think some people can get masochistic about it, like they simply enjoy being punished by games and love dealing with frustration in video games. I always had a whatever floats your boat attitude towards that sorta thing. It's like do whatever makes you happy, but don't be pushing that on me. I just like a far more relaxed gaming experience.
@scully1888 I’m confused by those acting like it’s us snowflake millennials that want easy games. It’s as if they just blanked out the difficulty options in Mega Man 2.
Didn't read the article.
Haven't read the 189 (and counting) comments.
Just read the headline and wanted to say:
"I agree"
Games becoming progressively easier is more a societal problem with the escalation of expectation for convenience. And with it, the collective deterioration of attention spans.
As for the actual topic on hand, difficulty modes are still relatively archaic in implementation. @Yorumi makes a good point that developers take the path of least resistance with most executions of harder modes, like scaling simplistic mechanics like health bars, enemy numbers or damage received. Scaling up stats and numbers without redesigning fundamental mechanics like AI only increase frustration for more casual players, which pervades a negative perception of hard modes in the first place.
It is high time that difficulty modes undergo an evolution; instead of simply asking if you would like "Easy Mode" or "Hard Mode," developers should begin giving options like "No Grind" or "Story/Exploration Only" or "Cruel AI."
The reasons for people preferring different levels of challenge or engagement vary more widely as the industry has continued to explode, and the accessibility options should be growing in sophistication to match.
@Yorumi “ I'm a big believer in the idea that everyone should have a game that caters to them but a single game shouldn't cater to everyone.”
That’s how you concluded your argument with the author writing about easy mode in games. You’re saying: game made for everyone (by adding easy mode) = bad. The reality is that an easy mode does not make a particular game accessible to ‘everyone’. A game is simply not diluted to ‘everyone’ status by adding an easy mode.
@Yorumi Citing just Etrian Odyssey, a vague statement about MMOs and briefly mentioning Mario games isn't enough to prove without question that easy modes hurt normal modes.
Take the Psikyo games: those shoot 'em ups are about as hardcore as you can get. Their difficulty levels go all the way down to Easy, then Child, then Monkey. Doesn't make the harder difficulties any easier: they're absolute nails.
Call of Duty games are about as mainstream as you can get. However, as I mentioned in the article, they also have difficulty levels, ranging from Recruit (which my dad plays on and thoroughly enjoys) to Veteran (where you basically just die over and over again because it's so stacked against you).
My wife loved playing Guitar Hero on Easy or Normal (depending on the song) whereas I loved playing it on Expert. We could actually play the same songs at the same time together, with different difficulty settings, and her difficulty level didn't affect how much I was enjoying it on my level.
You can cite one or two examples of sequels that are a little easier than their predecessors if you like, but there are infinitely more examples of games which have multiple difficulty levels and can still provide a serious challenge on the highest ones. Practically any one-on-one fighting game from the 16-bit era to today, for example.
This comment section is bonkers. The only thing that could surprise me now is if someone said "you know what, you're right. I see your point of view. Have a great day."
Does that ever happen? This is an unofficial Nintendo themed site running an OP ED that no one will even remember in a days time, tops. And people are getting worked up (much like myself) over typed words by people they don't even know. No one is going to be in your house checking up on what difficulty you're selecting.
Jeez Louise, can we all just enjoy some video games?
@DoktorTotenKopf You lost faith in humanity....because some people live busy lives and don't have time to waste playing difficult videogames?
While I agree with the general sentiment of the article, this bothers me:
"I’ve never played Dark Souls and I’d absolutely love to because by all accounts the lore is brilliant, but I just don’t have the time to put up with all its cheap tricks; I fully appreciate that many players love that aspect of the game, but I just want to get on with it."
There's nothing to get about it because there aren't "cheap tricks". The game isn't even hard as people say, it really is about pacing and it's quite a grounded and satisfying experience once it finally clicks with you. This is pretty much why the series got famous and it's different from many others since it's a fair game that doesn't use cheap tactics to feel difficult and at this point any gaming journalist should know that or at least they should have played them if they disagree with that.
It's good to see that you play in the normal difficulty when reviewing though, thanks for mentioning that.
Gatekeeping is for punks. "Play how you want to play, and let others do the same" should not be a controversial statement, but I guess gamers can't help but be their own worst enemy.
@nintendope64
I see your point but it is an opinion piece so you will get a lot of opinions which others will then react to. Would be a bit boring if everyone just said "I agree" and left it at that.
This comments section entertained me during a pretty boring Championship play off Final on the telly.
Edit: Also this comments section is positively tame compared to others in the past.
For a gamer in his mid-40s, the REAL "Hard-Mode" is just finding the time to ACTUALLY play a game.
Okay I just took the time to read Mr. Scullion's full op-ed. I agree with it. I'm a little bit older than the author and, like him, have been gaming since "pre-NES" days.
These days: Full time career, a couple of mortgages, keeping the wife and two young kids happy and healthy...... The last thing I have these days is time.
15 years ago I was still plugging away on harder difficulties, but I just don't have the time to commit these days. So many games and awesome worlds/stories to experience, so little time. So yeah, sometimes "easy mode" is a must, even if my younger self wouldn't have done so.
Can still knock Tyson out in the 2nd round (no modern tools like save-states required).
Can still beat the original Castlevania without losing a life.
It's not like I couldn't master harder difficulties if I had the time....but I don't. That's life.
I'm just thankful there are options so people can decide for themselves.
I agree with this sentiment. I play games to have fun, not to sate a masochistic urge to be punished. I like to see new areas of a game. I eventually give up on a lot of games (Soulsborne types, for example, though I love the atmosphere) because I'm not making progress and getting bored.
On the flip side, if I really love a game I'll replay it on a harder difficulty. I've done this with the first two Dooms and Arkham Asylum and it can be really thrilling.
@Yorumi I apologize if my comment came off as rude or condescending.
Second, you and I must be reading two entirely different articles. The author mentions, in a small snippet, about Dark Souls and the conclusion you come to is that the article is demanding the game (or any game for that matter mentioned) have an easy mode? The article, in general, is about his defense of why he plays a game on easy mode and mentions why he skipped Dark Souls. Nowhere is he demanding it have one
And again, the core of MY argument (and its brought up in this very article) is why does one feel the need to get bent out of shape if another gamer plays a game on easy? I'm also calling BS on the idea that an easy mode somehow detracts from the game as a whole. That's completely ludicrous
@Yorumi Mega Man 2, Ikaruga, most fighting games and more seem to be doing just fine with including an easy mode. Spare us the elitism.
Sometimes I’m in the mood for having fun rather than being stressed out. There are a lot of games out there that will put you through a ton of frustration, some games feel more like work than fun. I have nothing to prove to anyone. If you like being stressed out then go for it, I’d rather have fun
@JayJ Amen, brother.
This article was awesome. When you review games, i ask about the level of difficulty and learning curve. I like games that accommodate skill levels of all types. Or at least allow you to grind through. The problem I have is that I will pick up a game. Get distracted and not play it a while and forget what I learned.
@Crimson_Ridley It doesn’t take much to make people upset on here. That’s not everyone though, most are nice. Its the one’s who always disagree no matter what you say.
For me ia a question of work and prize. Of there is absolutely NO difference in plot, ending or extras, I'll play on the easiest. If there is a difference, I'll try the easiest difficult able to get everything. If you need to finish more than 1 time or You take something from the previous playthrough, I go first on easy than I get a more difficult mode (for example, I want to unlock every support conversation and event in FE3H, it's in progress through my third playthrough)
@scully1888 Funny you bring up Mega Man 2. I have only finished Mega Man 2 on the reduced "Normal" difficulty. I keep saying maybe some day I'll finish on the original Japanese "Advanced" difficulty but I am presently satisfied.
I get that even among developers that are different opinions on difficulty. Such as Mega Man 2 which added an easier version for the west (thus treating the difficult mode as a bonus for players who wish for the extra challenge) where Konami seemed to like make western players "earn" the right to see the full ending by locking it behind Hard.
Certainly different views valid in their own ways.
@BigRed40 humans as a whole disappoint me to no end regardless of their leisures or futile pursuits.
I like this article , agree with everything chris said . I used to play games on all difficulty settings when I was a kid from easy to hard . Really master the game . But nowadays just dont have the patience or stamina to spend the time with any particular game mastering every aspect of it . Too little time and too many games I want to play through and experience . I tend to go for normal difficulty on most games but with more complex games like ASTRAL CHAIN for example there is too many complex button inputs you need to know and memorise that if you put it down and pick up and play again weeks later or even months later as I often do , it's a pain cause i need to 're learn those controls rather then just putting it on a easier difficulty setting and button mashing my way through it . Another example is recently purchased and playing CRYSIS REMASTERED . The control options on this game are very limited so hugely handicaps my ability to perform well . I play inverted controls both with gyro and control sticks, this is how I play all my shooters on switch . But in CRYSIS these options are not there. So you can imagine how I struggle playing this game , Easy mode is hopefully just going to allow me to get through the game
"There's No Shame In Playing On Easy"
Yeah tell that to the FE Community.
@TAndvig Not true at all. Puzzle games with microtransactions are designed specifically to target a lack of patience, not skill. There are choke points in those games that revolve around luck-based mechanics, deliberately designed to force the impatient to pay up to artificially progress. You can’t at all believe that the same people playing smartphone puzzle games are at all interested in a potential easy mode on Dark Souls or Xenoblade.
@Yorumi How can games like that suffer if the original way to play is still available? The only difference now is that more people can actually see the game through to its end, while those who want the challenge can still enjoy the game in its original form. I see zero downside.
I mean, I could literally give two f--- about what other people think of me. I play games because I enjoy playing them, so - a game feels too difficult and is no longer fun - I'm not so arrogant/insecure as to believe that I must subject myself to masochism. If in those instances an easier mode exists, I'll usually take it, with the mindset that should I improve, I know that I can always challenge myself more later.
for those that keeps harping “accessibility”.... GAMING. IS. ALREADY. ACCESSIBLE. BUT. NOT. EVERY. GAME. NEEDS. TO. BE. ACCESSIBLE.
If dark souls or any game that doesn't offer difficulty setting is to hard for you then play other games that is your speed. the fact that you can do that is already called the magic of accessibility.
I'm 31 myself, and I hear ya. I don't have the time of day to sit around getting frustrated and adjust to a learning curve. That's why I'm playing Animal Crossing almost exclusively, I can relax and take the game world at my own pace.
@DoktorTotenKopf
Truly curious: do you include yourself in that assessment?
I enjoy both. Depending on my mood that day. Somedays I just want to chill, and other days I love that I need to google stuff to get even the slightest idea where to go in Phantasy Star.
If you're skilled in a certain type of game, then there's plenty of disgrace to play on easy. Part of the thrill of such games is developing the required skill to win. If you just breeze through a game simply to see the end, you're playing it for the wrong reason.
I personally enjoy difficulty in my games, but I'm never going to look down on people looking for something else. There are a bunch of reasons people play games, and none of them are wrong. The whole point of gaming is to enjoy yourself. If you're not enjoying yourself for any reason, including difficulty, then you don't play the game. That really shouldn't be controversial.
@HalBailman There's no such thing as the wrong reason for playing a game. There are, however, wrong reasons for commenting, and among them is trying to prove one's self more proper than and superior to others, a ridiculous action made more ridiculous when it is based on a fallacy such as the existence of wrong reasons for playing a game.
@Yorumi I can see why that would be a problem. If the original difficulty were left intact, though, an easy mode just makes the game more accessible. I do agree that modern games increasingly coddle players, and that certainly is a problem for another thread.
@HalBailman I love how you consider yourself the arbiter of what makes people happy. I’m so glad you’re here to determine who is and isn’t playing games for the “right reasons.”
I consider the option between hard, easy and normal to be the first challenge of the game. I'm not sure if everyone is aware, choosing hard mode can make the whole game harder to play. I often choose easy, but sometimes go back and change it to normal, especially if the bad guys stand still and don't fight back. A game being literally too hard to complete is no fun for me. I am stuck half way through celeste, it becomes boring when booting the game means playing the same level and losing. It is also annoying when you know what to do, but a button press does not register due to microscopic accuracy requirements. I guess, those games are made for someone other than me. I like shooters but bullet hell is often too hard. I sometimes turn off a game if I die once and have to restart the level, and not come back for months, and sometimes not at all. Easy mode is a good thing. I want enough challenge that a game can be fun but I dont want to be frustrated by difficulty.
@diwdiws I agree there is a place for hard games. That place is not on my switch, but i have no problem with other people enjoying hard games. I do like to know when a game is hard, like everyone knows Dark Souls is hard, then I know not to buy it.
@JimmySpades It's called "my opinion". In an opinion piece, it's perfectly valid to offer an opinion. Good to see you don't follow your own advice, oh great superior one. Don't get triggered (again)!
@thesilverbrick You too.
@scully1888 I'm currently playing The Last of Us 2 on light difficulty because I don't want to put the time in to be better at a higher difficulty. I will absolutely play on easy when it's available. Saving time is VERY tempting. But Dark Souls? I still say it doesn't need an easy difficulty setting. Different players have different reasons to play games. Right now I'm casually enjoying the story in TLOU2. When I boot up Bloodborne I know exactly what it is. It's a thrown gauntlet. It says "No, you can't." And for me there's no greater feeling than pushing past my limits and overcoming that challenge. It's what makes it my very favorite series of games. That's the experience it provides. I can't adjust that world to fit my personal skill. If I want to win, I HAVE TO adjust myself to do it. No other choice. The bridges and boats are burned and there's no turning back. And quite frankly, that's a rarity in today's gaming landscape because most games do have scalable difficulty and are very accessible to a wide range of players. As they rightly should be. There's nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy a game on easy mode, and there should be no shame in it. But there should also be nothing wrong with wanting to beat an unyielding challenge and admitting that not all games are for all people. So with so many games out there that DO cater to multiple difficulty levels and player skills, my question is, why do the few that don't need to change?
I wish monster hunter Ultimate had a cheat code so I could play as samus without days of playing grind mechanics. I used powersaves on my 3ds version of MH4 and it was still too hard to get anywhere. I even considered lending someone my 3ds so they could do the grind for me. One day, in the future, I will have some custom firmware, and be able to download a save file. Or perhaps Nintendo will release another game that allows me to play as Samus from the start....
@diwdiws That’s a strange and elitist mindset. You’re saying you’re ok with less people being able to participate.
@TG16_IS_BAE well maybe fulfilled isn't the word than. But it can definitely give someone a false sense of accomplishment to blow apart a game in easy mode. I think the biggest thing for me is you don't really get the sense of technique or trying to get better so you may not actually full experience the game. To each their own but gimping out a game and never getting good at what you actually want to beat is kind of lame.
@doctorhino Not everyone plays to be good though.
I completely agree with the author here. As a 40 year old executive with 2 kids, the days of ultra long gaming sessions are long gone.
I find that in the time available, its more efficient to play games on the easiest setting so as to not waste time, but to also enjoy the widest gamut of titles possible while being able to perform the other functions of life which are honestly far more important at an optimum level.
In short, easy modes mean I can have a gaming hobby. Otherwise id likely only be able to play 1 or two games a year. Additionally, as i manage teams of people at work, I find it soothing to cut through games on easy, which is enjoyable as opposed to throwing controllers and acting like a coke addict without a fix. Just me though lol
You lost me at " I’ve never played Dark Souls and I’d absolutely love to because by all accounts the lore is brilliant, but I just don’t have the time to put up with all its cheap tricks"
@TG16_IS_BAE yeah I shouldn't have been so judgy about it, people can experience games for whatever they want. Getting good at games has its benefits like being ready for other similar games and being able to hold your own in multiplayer. I guess the culture of gaming now just kind of creates a need to make a comparison to others as far as how you play them.
@doctorhino It’s all good, I actually can see why getting good at games would be important to people like full-time streamers, speed runners trying to hit world records, etc. Some of us appreciate games as art, and enjoy analyzing the devs design choices, or just getting lost in the lore/art design/mood/tone, etc.
@Ishmokin I don’t see why, though. Dark Souls is great, but can certainly be off putting. I have 1500+ hours in it, and am an avid speed runner in Dark Souls, so don’t take it the wrong way. I love the game so much that having an assist or easy mode would be fantastic so that others can enjoy the lore, story and setting. There’s nothing really earned by beating a hard game, you get the same outcome as an easy game, which is nothing but entertainment which is great, but I don’t see why there should be a golden gate around some games. Dark Souls isn’t special because it’s hard. It’s special because of the way it tells it’s story. It would have come across just as well, story-wise, if it also had an easy mode.
Tbh i always go for the hardest difficulty in games, thats where my fun is.
But yh i love to spend hours getting better and if you dont have the time, easy mode is the way to go.
Looking at it from a reviewers perspective.
Often times you come across a game you dont like. Or its just objectively bad.
Dont want to spend hours through a ***** game your gonna give a 1-5 score anyways so yh easy mode is again good for that.
Dont get the story part though.
There has not been a story in gaming that is atleast better than a b-film smth like sharknado.
Stupid fun but not rly smth you wanna dissect as a 'story'
And didnt even mention ppl who cant make certain tricky moves in quick succesion due to disability/ injury.
Again easy mode helps with that.
Easy mode.... is basically for casuals who only play games once and move on to the next one. There are a lot of games out there that should have a harder difficulty, however because of "players" spending habits and the consistent whining from people who want nerfs for bosses where stuck with games that are so easy it's a joke... Yet they still play only on easy mode, Give me a break.
@Crimson_Ridley An admirable perspective. I think it's pretty terrible what has happened to you in life so far, but (and I'm sure you know this), there are countless blessings that hold against the tragic events in our lives. I would agree - 90% of my first play through of Dark Souls mainly consists of stress, intense focus, and overwhelming defeat. But that other 10%, where I feel masterful, wiser, and smarter, is a satisfaction that compares to little else. It's such a parallel to life, really. We keep pressing on for a reason (me personally, because I believe in a Savior), and those moments of truth encourage progression and iron will. Patience, self-discipline, and determination are qualities in life that I've improved upon. These games really are inspiring.
@FangerZero You do know that, their are other mediums out there that are specific for certain situations. You don't need to play hardcore games if your playing casual.
Also if you have a family, is it really a smart move to play hardcore games? I'm asking this because Video games are time vampires.. All of them.
@Muddy_4_Ever Cuphead does have an easy mode.
I'm 54 and I play games to relax and escape the stress of real life. I see no problem playing games on easy. Now if I could just get oranges and peaches in Animal Crossing I'd be able to scratch one more thing off my bucket list. 😊
I see nothing wrong with the inclusion of hand holding easy modes. So what if people want them? Let them use them. I usually enjoy a challenge but sometimes I want to relax and play something easy.
Dark souls cheap tricks!?! What?
@Trickbaby14 That's what movies are But honestly, im 35 years of age, with really cool job and great family, which are all awesome, but leave me with under 1h a game for gaming, and i also love gaming, and i love experiencing stories in games, so i'd rather play on easy and skip the nightmare difficulty challenges than get stuck with 1 game for a year
@FangerZero Yes and no. In my case my kids are so young that i refuse to play with them around and play during my commute, on switch and then 1h in the evening - sometimes not at all, sometimes bit more. During the day i'd rather play with them instead. It's all my choice
@FangerZero I totally agree with your last statement.
How can I say this..... The only people who care... OR should care are the hardcore gamer market. A lot of these people including myself are single, in college, or are young. They are the ones who has the time to fully enjoy video games, and because of that easy mode to them is a complete joke. It would be like you going to work after putting so much time in learning everything only to settle at an entry level position.
The big issue here specifically what I have with easy modes, or 'causal gamers' are their voices in the gaming community.
Take this for example :
Their is a family day event, where you bring your kids and your wife, where you have all these events specifically for families, alright. Then a gaint group of single people who don't have families comes into the event, the ticket clerk is blind and gives tickets to anybody who pays. Then a dispute comes forth, all these single people start complaining that there isn't anything for them to do, some of them don't say much and mingle for few hours then leave, however they don't cause a problem. The other ones don't stop that they payed money for the event that wasn't catered from them and want things changed.
Then next event comes it's not the same as a previous event because of ticket sales for the single people and your stuck with a completely changed event that you wouldn't want to take your family too.
That is the same as casuals changing games for hardcores.
It's the same reason people complained about the Game Genie back in the 90s (hi I'm old), and the same reason people lose their minds if Dark Souls or Undertale isn't played a certain way. Namely, people get it in their heads that something needs to be experienced in a very specific way, usually the same way that person experiences it, and they freak out if someone DARES to enjoy the same product they do in a different manner.
Difficulty settings are inclusive which lead to more sales which lead to more games, but many gamers are inherently exclusive in their thinking. "You're not having fun in the same style that I am, so stop having fun." That's it. That's the whole reason behind it. Any other factors or logic are just window dressing over this core issue.
@k8sMum clearly not. I’ll include you though.
@TG16_IS_BAE
There's nothing "cheap" about Dark Souls game play. I am sure you know that. Sure he can play easy mode but to call DS cheap without playing it is an unfair comment towards the game.
@FangerZero I don't think you understood my reference. Every game requires time to master, simply beating a game and moving on isn't a hardcore model, there is no difference in beating a game and moving on to the next then there is in watching let's plays on youtube.
In order to say you completely beat a game hardcore gamer mode, would be with NO GUIDES, learning every aspect of the game(even if you die hundreds of times) and being able to speed run it with again no glitches or guides in a specific time. For anybody to achieve this it would take more time then that is given for people with other responsibilities to achieve.
If you do this in Easy mode, your cheating yourself out of an challenge towards an accomplishment (when your a hardcore gamer) if the game is too easy, you lose interest, as again there is no challenge, it's a cheap victory as anybody can do that, and if it's a series you grew up with and it becomes dumb down for a casual market, you now have to find that challenge someplace else, and that can be costly, or having to start over at a new genre hoping to find something that suits you.
I'm not proud of the money I spent looking for a game/franchise/genre just because the ones I grew up with are now dumb down casual marketed dumpster fires. Everytime I do find one, it gets casualized. It makes it harder to look forward to, and I just end up picking up games from the past.
Yeah I’m much in the same camp. I’m 32, married, no kids yet. Can be a busy life at times, but free time ever increasingly shrinks as life goes on.
I would say it depends on why I’m playing a game. Most Normal Modes I’m fine with, for instance I played Ghost of Tsushima on normal.
On longer campaigns, When given an option, whether that’s a JRPG or I wanna marathon through a series, I’ll put it on easy. Like right I’m playing through the Halo series,
Last year I played through the Gears of war series on easy until I got to Gears 5 then I reverted to normal,
I had already played through the previous games, I just wanted to replay the stories.
I enjoy the stories in games, and it does provide a sense of progression.
I very much relate to the bit in the article ‘if I’m still at the same point in the game the next night then that was a wasted night’ I feel the same way.
I very nearly stopped trophy hunting, I platinum’d Ghost of Tsushima because it was easy, but if it required me to play on hard, then play it again on ultra hard. I wouldn’t even bother. Still love the game, but it’s to the point that I disable trophy/achievements notifications.
I stopped play multiplayer games, I just don’t get the sense of progression like I do with a campaign, I don’t play fighters, requires too much time to master 1 character.
I’m not saying these games should not exist, nor am I saying that they’re bad.
I just don’t have time like I used to.
Typically on an RPG I’ll do as much as I can as I want, but once those credits roll, I’m likely done for good. Very very rarely will - after a couple of years- will I replay it.
I would have thought that reviewers who review for a living would do something completely different in their free time, rather than a busman's holiday.
That said I have always though that many reviewers (present company excluded) never complete a game anyway. It would be good to see a screen shot of their start and end game in the review.
I remember back in the magazine days reading two reviews by the same reviewer, for the same game, for two different magazines. He gave each review a different score.
@Ishmokin What’s funny, is Dark Souls does have cheap shots at the player. Capra Demon, Bed of Chaos, Gwyns single frame attack, ornsteins glitchy dash attack...there’s more but I’m tired lol.
@TG16_IS_BAE Let's agree to disagree. cheers
I Play easy most of the time. I just dont have the time to play on normal or hard at the end of the day (except these past few months).
Nothing wrong with that, why should other people care how I play a game, on my own, in my own home, that I have paid for, that the Devs provides an option to play their game.
@HotGoomba "Anyone making fun of people that find compromising challenge for the sake of accessibility resulting in a lesser game should not have the right to ridicule, and deserves to be ridiculed."
How about that? That's how you sound like. I don't have a problem with telling someone to get off the high horse, but when you're doing it so that you can climb there yourself, you're not any better.
@AstralSoul the problem is it does but you can't complete the game with it, as far as I know
So many people in these comments seem to think hard games put people off but easy games are for everyone so what's the harm. It's not true. It's the reason why I have been avoiding Kirby games which I would love to play and the reason while I'm playing Yoshi games thinking "this would have been so much more enjoyable if there was a little bit more challenge to it". But so be it, I accept that not every game is for me and I don't demand that it is.
Ok, but Minecraft's easiest mode cuts out most of the game. There aren't any hostile entities.
At the end of the day, games are not art. They are entertainment. So, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter how you consume them.
Easy is my default, my time these days is constricted and I like to see progress and experience fun, not hours of gruelling Bullsh#t.
@GrailUK games are the very highest definition of art. every separate piece that makes a game, is art.
@DoktorTotenKopf
Awwww. Here I give you an opportunity to show just how witty and superior you are and you resort to an equivalent of 'I am rubber you are glue...'
Thanks for the laugh.
@YANDMAN Lol, they are about as much art as a biscuit tin lid. Sure, they have artists working on them, but it's more design and science than art (and it's unfair to think there is no fun to be had with those!). I find it pretty pretentious to consider them highbrow in some way (although, stuff like that tends to exist in their own bubbles, and drives prices up etc etc).
@TG16_IS_BAE In regards to #239, I respectfully disagree that there's nothing to be earned by beating a hard game and that the outcome is the same on easy. Personal accomplishment isn't nothing. My wife had never touched a Souls game because she thought she couldn't do it. And then Bloodborne came out and she loved the aesthetic and had to play it. She was abysmal at first, but she pushed through, and eventually beat the game. She has said on multiple occasions that if there had been an easy mode she would have played on it because she wouldn't have believed she could do it against a harder difficulty, but because there was no choice she had to push herself to win, and that absolutely increased her enjoyment of the game because it felt more real. She knew for sure that she was playing just as well as everyone who had beaten the game. Now, some people take that as proof of their superiority, and it's certainly a crap move to tell others that they suck for not playing hard games or for choosing easy, but that's a separate concern. Those people are jerks and shouldn't be a reason to scale the challenge in a game specifically built to be challenging. I really think there's value in burning the bridge of an easy mode in SOME games. The majority of games offer scalable difficulty already, why change the few that don't when the experience they offer is already rare and highly valued by some people?
@NoxAeturnus What do you have to show for it? Personal accomplishment should accomplish something. Beating a game is great fun, but it bears no fruit. It’s entertainment.
@Ishmokin Heh, ok
@TG16_IS_BAE If you can't see the value in personal accomplishment then I am sad for you. Not everything in life is about an end product, and personal growth is not a trophy to show at the end. Games can be more than just entertainment, though they are that too. They can also be models and testing grounds for ideas about ourselves and the world. When my wife beat Bloodborne she learned something about herself that she hadn't known before. It undermined her personal narrative of low confidence in her abilities. Was it life changing? Not by itself, but people often change gradually over the course of many experiences. This experience was central to her enjoyment of the game and more lasting and valuable than just fleeting entertainment. If you can't understand that, then we play games for different reasons. That alone should be enough to give you pause when you advocate for modifying the type of game that I like for my own reasons to better fit your own reason for playing games. There are lots of games out there, it's okay for some to not cater to everyone. Likewise not every game needs to be Souls.
@NoxAeturnus lmao Dude, I I like to accomplish things in real life, but you have fun with the virtual world. Nobody is talking about trophies except you. Maybe an accomplishment is getting 5 more pounds on a overhead press, buying a car, getting married, helping someone, learning a tough song on a musical instrument. Beating a game isn’t an accomplishment. It’s for fun, you feel good for a second, but it’s no different than finishing a movie. I’ve been gaming my whole life. Guess what? Nobody cares about my gaming deeds, but they sure do care a lot about what I do in the physical realm. That’s reality, better start adjusting to it mate!
The story of your wife is neat, but you’re not describing an accomplishment. You are describing self reflection, which she seemed to pull through just fine. The game triggered self reflection. That’s not accomplishment, that’s normal human behavior.
I agree wholeheartedly with this take. For my part, it depends on the game! I do sometimes try harder difficulties if it's a game I'm familiar with, or it's something older. When it comes to 2D games, platformers, Zelda...
I like to try the hard difficulty because I'm better at those types of games. If I were to play easy mode or an otherwise very easy platformer, it sometimes just doesn't feel as satisfying because I have been playing 2D platformers since the 90s.
But if I'm not familiar with the game style, I'll crank it down! And if it gets too boring, I crank it back up! Or, if I'm looking just to chill, I'll keep it on easy and enjoy the ride. You can do whatever you want because games are a HOBBY! If you're an obsessive achievement hunter, more power to you! If you just like to have a bit of fun and take it easy, you do you.
I don't know why some people make a big deal about which mode you play on. Play whatever helps you enjoy the game most. It's nobody's business but your own.
@Yorumi Pay me to play it and I'll "rise to your challenge." Don't pay me to play it and it is just passive entertainment. Training and practicing to play a video game you're not getting paid for simply to meet someone else's expectations of the difficulty is insanity. It's meant to be played, to offer the right resistance to you to give you enough challenge to be fun but achievable. It's entertainment, not work. It produces no tangible reward, just a sense of (useless) accomplishment. If that accomplishment comes from "baby mode" because that's challenging for your skill level that doesn't detract from its purpose of fun.
Now pay me....and that's a different story...then I have to work for it. But "feeling what the hero feels?" The hero's half dead by chapter 3 and has given into despair in half the games.....should we really feel what the hero feels?
@TG16_IS_BAE Completing a challenging game is an accomplishment. Accomplishments can have different scales of importance. At no point did I suggest that beating a game is of the same importance as achieving major life milestones. And you also seem to be mistaken in believing that I care at all what others think of my accomplishment. Beating a challenging game is a personal accomplishment. It doesn't feel good for a moment, it feels good forever because its something I know I did. For myself. Because it was difficult and I persevered and won anyway. I don't have to share an accomplishment with others for it to be meaningful to me.
@NEStalgia You say that a sense of accomplishment is useless. And for you, that's true. I say it is valuable. Different games for different people. I don't need to be paid to "do work" as you call it. I enjoy the process of learning a new skill, even a skill that's financially useless like playing a video game. If you don't, then you fundamentally don't understand why I enjoy that kind of game, which again should give anyone pause when advocating for a game to be changed. The nice thing about the gaming landscape is that we have many different games for a variety of different people, so it's okay to sometimes have games for people whose enjoyment of games is different from our own and possibly incomprehensible to us personally.
@NoxAeturnus Your ego is fooling you into thinking that's an accomplishment. Time will teach you. Have a good day, mate!
@NoxAeturnus It's all relative to what else is going on. If you have nothing else at all going on in life then putting all that hard work and effort into a video came can provide "accomplishment" even though it doesn't actually accomplish anything other than providing entertainment, or perhaps showing off an amusing but impractical skill of being particularly good at a particular game.
It's of course, not wrong to find it fun to try to beat the particular challenge, but it's just that: for fun. Recreation. Escapism. Unwinding. Endorphin release. And a difficulty level that one might find "easy" might be a difficulty level that's nigh unsurpassable to others. I'm sure you can run circles around me in Dark Souls, for example. Similarly I could probably rip you to shreds in Splatoon. But that's not much of an "accomplishment" - it doesn't give us much other than bragging rights on an internet forum that we're pretty good at a particular game. Does someone else who's not spent the countless hours playing that finds Kirby Robobot really challenging to the point of needing help with the "hard parts" get less enjoyment from playing that level of challenge?
The game is a personal challenge. Whatever your skill level is, the most fun experience is when the level of challenge provides resistance to progress or success, but not so much it becomes work to attempt to surpass it, unless you have no other real world world providers such stress, which is going to be much more common for school-aged kids, which is where playground bragging rights really originates. If your skill level dictates "hard" games is that right level of resistance to provide fun, then that's the right skill level for you. It might not be the right level of skill level for someone else without putting in undue effort to the point of making it work instead of entertainment, at which point there are a lot of other things one could, and should, be doing with that time instead of spending it not having fun working hard to achieve something that has no actual benefit. If it is fun to achieve that....then we're back to "it's the right challenge level for providing entertainment for you".
Put another way, the experience you describe as fun or providing a sense of accomplishment may be the very same experience another player has at a much lower difficulty level, because in the end, you're both experiencing the same amount of resistance to your inherent skill ability, despite at different skills.
To give it a sports analogy: Playing tennis against your friend might be fun. Playing tennis against a local league champion might be a fun challenge...or it might be too much of a challenge and not be fun without putting a lot of work into it. Playing against the Williams sisters, not as a paid profession but just for amusement, would be unnerving, infuriating, frustrating, and entirely not fun. You'd just watch balls zip by with no ability to do anything about it but stand there swinging air and losing non-stop. Why continue? You don't, you move onto a better use of time. But that local league champion might see playing against the Williams sisters as a dream of a lifetime and milestone to compare against the best and see how they can move up the ladder. It's a better fit for their level of ability versus yours. The fun and value of that level of challenge would have very different results and appeal to them.
If you're not video gaming for mere entertainment, and you're not video gaming for competitive money.....then what exactly are you playing for? Or is it for fun, but you're not acknowledging it's fun because that "high difficulty" in fact happens to be the appropriate difficulty for your skills to have fun?
@AstralSoul Completion of the "easy mode" on Cuphead levels doesn't allow for level progression. You don't collect souls with knockouts.
@NEStalgia I don't think accomplishments need to be shared or shown off to be accomplishments, that's what personal means. I'm not beating Dark Souls to go online and say, "Hey look, I beat the thing! Look at me!" I'm beating it to prove I can do it for myself. I think there is a difference between viewing a 50 foot cliff and wondering if I can climb it, and viewing a 50 foot cliff and wondering if I can scale it down to 20 feet because I don't have time to climb to 50. When the challenge is set and immovable, there's no alternative. Its an opportunity to test myself against it and discover my limits. Maybe I fail, maybe I don't care enough about the game to put the work in to beat it. It happens. Those games are not for me. I don't demand that they be adjusted so that I can finish them. The fact that I can lose, that I might have to quit because I might not have the skill to complete the game is critical to my enjoyment of that specific game. I also reject the idea that the primary purpose of ALL games is to provide fun (although this is true for many games!). Games can provide playgrounds for self-discovery. They can teach us things about ourselves, the world around us, and other people, and not in a direct didactic way like a lecture. They can even provide environments to test and develop physical manually dexterity and hand eye coordination, timing, and rhythm. They can provide narratives that resonate just like movies and novels. And there are so many more reasons to play games than just "for fun" or "as a job." For example, MDA game design outlines 8 different aesthetics of play. Challenge alone is a valid reason to play games, it's just not YOUR reason for playing games. Which is also fine. Which is why my question still stands: with so many games out there that allow adjustable difficulty, why do the rare few that do not need to change?
@NoxAeturnus The challenge FOR YOU. To someone else scaling it down to 20 feet might prove as big an achievement as 50ft is to you. They choose a 20ft cliff because that's their challenge. They play on lower difficulty because that's their challenge.
You're applying the emotions associated with the challenge adjusted for you to everyone. It doesn't work that way unless you're actually competing against others, for records or victory, which inherently isn't about personal achievement at all.
YOU may find it enjoyable to try, fail, and quit because you don't have the skill or the interest in building that skill. But what if, perhaps, others do not find that enjoyable and would like the game if only the challenge weren't so high over their skill?
You don't have to compete and win against Serena to enjoy a game of tennis. But Dark Souls tells you you do.
All of the positive aspects you list beyond entertainment, though exaggerated, to not depend on a set difficulty curve. They depend on a relative difficulty curve set for the player. Meanwhile, actual competitive games, online or local, DO provide a proper difficulty curve that advances with player skill and real humans provide incentive to build (or not build) advancing skill. It's not about defeating an artificial skill wall set at a certain difficulty by a game designer, not accounting for your own ability. It's about challenging other people at increasing skill levels, until you get to a point you can't beat some of them. At some point you plateau. And at some point that's ok. It's just a game...you either try to get better and beat them or you don't.
Now are you defining that "challenge" is a reason to play games, when that challenge is not fun? Or are you defining it as a source of fun for you? I.E. Are you saying that actively committing to purchasing video games for the purpose of not having fun to be challenged is your aim? That the challenge is not actually fun, it's suffering for $60 for the purpose of suffering, specifically to not have fun? Or are you saying you find that level of challenge fun....therefore everyone should find the exact same level of challenge fun? 2000 reps or GTFO?
@NEStalgia I totally understand what you're saying about relative challenge. You are not understanding what I'm saying about the benefits of absolute challenge because you do not see any benefits to that style of game. At no point am I suggesting that everyone should find that level of challenge fun. What I'm suggesting is that not every game needs to be fun for everyone. There are plenty of games to play that aren't Dark Souls. Not every game needs to be Dark Souls. In fact, I believe wholeheartedly that MOST games shouldn't be Dark Souls. Accessibility is good for the majority of games. But I think Souls has its place, as it is, without an easy mode. I've spent a lot of words on my position already, if you don't understand where I'm coming from by now, then we'll have to agree to disagree.
@NoxAeturnus I see your point. While I don't entirely disagree with it as-is, I also don't see why adding that choice would hurt the existing game either.
That being said, I'll add a bit of snark: Of course Dark Souls has to rest on it's absolute challenge as its only feature: The game has nothing to offer beyond that.
@GrailUK I find it ignorant that somebody would assume games are not art, but we are all of course entitled to our own opinion. For games to be considered art, It doesn't have to give them collectible Creedence or highbrow pretention, but every aspect of a game is very much art, and if you raised the same question with anyone that makes them, they would tell you the same. I think maybe you're view of what 'Art' actually is, is probably things that hang on the wall and nothing else. Story telling and creation, music, composition, design, character creation, world design, actual in-game art, packaging, advertising, box art, all of it is ART. games are a living, breathing piece of art.
@YANDMAN We can agree to differ on this mate I just see them as entertainment. And it's been decades since art was something for the wall. I get there is artwork in games. Context is everything, and unfortunately, you buy it to play it and that kinda hinders it attaining the heights of a work of art. It's often used as a form of praise, but I fear folk are taking it literally these days lol. But I respect your opinion of course. Know exactly where you are coming from, so have a like.
I can't imagine someone complaining of a game being too long or too hard because they don't have the time due to having a family lifestyle that they chose to have among other things.
you'd think you save more money in the span of months by playing only one game no? why plow through so many if less time is a factor?
that said developers can do whatever they want for thier games but im against having us people demand we have it suit our ever changing lives.
if something is not for you, then you pick something else. you don't have to be a part of every group.
I agree with everything in this article, especially the part about how getting old makes you realize you don't have the same kind of time to spend mastering games that you did years ago. These days, I always try to finish the game on the default difficulty level, but if it gets too frustrating or time-consuming I'll bump it down to easy (if given the option; I'm currently working on finishing Thumper and it's... stressful) and I don't feel bad because I've spent plenty of time playing all kinds of games over the years. 16-year-old me doesn't need to know that 39-year-old me couldn't even get past the third level of Bayonetta on normal.
I’m sorry bro but you’re on your own here. I’m not advocating for playing on super hardcore all the time but if your playing Certain stuff on easy your missing the experience. I’d rather just not play.
Seeing the reactions of people... makes me glad the elitists are a minority in gaming.
...while the critics are busy w%nking each other in to a frenzy about how good they are. Surprised we haven't seen more 'i finished Mega Man 2 at 3 years old don't get what the big deal is thought everyone could do it' stories in the comments.
@bluemage1989 Having read the comments (OK, so I'm late to the party), I think you are proving @Yorumi's point. If you are "surprised" about the absence of a thing, isn't that a rather large hint? The majority of comments have weighed in favour of tailored difficulty options, but you are the one directing vitriol at the "elitist" boogeymen who seem to be, strangely, absent. Cognitive bias, perhaps? If you have seen such elitists elsewhere, so be it; but I found your comment strange in this forum.
For my part, I tend to err on the side of human choice wherever possible in life - choice for both the user and the creator. Not even game has to tailor itself to the broadest possible community - and not every game should exclude difficulty options. I hope we can let each other be and appreciate the fact that video games thrive as a medium, in breadth and in depth.
One way people gatekeep is by turning their own actions into accusations of others; they try to twist defending difficulty options into an attack on difficulty, hoping that their bad faith attempt at argument will prove impossible to respond to in good faith (and when it is, they'll move the goal posts in another bad faith move).
@JimmySpades This thread is days old, I know, but here goes: DISCLAIMER - Funky Mode does not offend me.
Your statement interests me because I see a number of the comments being directed at Yorumi, including by @scully1888, which are indeed gatekeeping - but in the other direction. Why does a game creator need to be forced to include an Easy mode if s/he doesn't want to?
How can games like that suffer if the original way to play is still available?
@thesilverbrick I think you've found the crux of the matter. Funky Mode in Tropical Freeze was added years after the game was first released. Thus, Wii U players (and those playing on standard difficulty on Switch) experienced the game as Retro intended, more or less. The addition of Funky Mode - years afterward - entailed no compromise of the additional design, nor developer resources diverted. That's about the best-case scenario I can envision.
@Yorumi You now have me curious about Subnautica and Etrian Odyssey
Fascinating conversation, this, aside from the personal attacks. Have you ever tried "Don't Starve"?
@COVIDberry I'm sorry but I think you've misconstrued the article: at no point did I say game creators should be forced to include an Easy mode. The point of the article was simply that there's no shame in playing on Easy even if you're a veteran gamer. There should be no conflict in anything I've said: the whole point of it was living and letting live.
I pretty much always play on easy. I like playing games and experiencing the journey rather than constantly dying in games.
Problem is they make games too long nowadays. I always play the Assassin’s Creed games on easy just to enjoy the story. I hate to sound like Crankey Kong, but whilst games were harder in the old days, that was because they mostly had only a dozen levels before you started again at the beginning, so needed difficulty for the pacing.
Great article, I played Doom Eternal on easy and that was just right, normal had me repeating the same section over and over again and it just wasn't fun!
I must of missed this article the first time around. Crazy comments section. A few thoughts:
1)you can totally cheese Dark Souls. I killed the Hellkite Drake with arrows and it didnt do squat to retaliate. You can poison the Capra Demon by throwing crud over the doorway. You can beat the giant rat to death by hiding in a doorway.
2) options are always good. I personally would like Cuphead to be a little easier because I enjoy the visuals and I've already pulled out all the hair on my head.
3) when i was a kid, renting video games, I PRAYED that there was a finished save file on the SNES cartridge I got. It meant in the short time I had I could see a lot more than if I had to play through the entire thing myself.
I am a 40 plus gamer and have nothing to prove. I love Easy difficulties. I'll actually play the game again on a higher difficulty if I really love it anyway
Too many people have been conditioned to put all their pride into the difficulty and challenge, and lying to themselves about enjoying it just because they have something to prove.
Some people don't have the time or patience to retry a boss 300 times and failing to understand this shows how shortsighted and selfish people can be.
I like challenge but some games aren't worth it and cheesing through them on easy mode is a good alternative so I can finish and uninstall a game before getting bored.
Having an easy difficulty should be in every game, and the best part is that you can still play in ultra hard if you feel like it, so everybody wins.
I almost always play on Easy mode. This protesting against easy modes is one of the most ridiculous argument I've ever seen in the gaming community (and there's been a lot). It's basically saying "my way or the highway". I just don't understand why people can't live and let live, especially in the case of an optional mode.
One of my least favorite flavors of edgelord gamer™️ Is the difficulty superiority complex guy. The goal post for what is actually well designed difficulty seems to move in accordance with whatever their favorite games are that month. O and if there’s an easy mode that results in the same ending/reward as the hard mode, there has to be an editorial or tweet or blog post about how games are too easy and there’s nothing left for the hardcore git gud edge trolls
I've been playing video games for almost 30 years and most play for the story. I am thrilled when I see a "Story" or "Easy Mode" difficulty! I enjoy playing through the game getting a chance to feel out the story and then come back and revisit on a harder difficulty if I want a challenge
I usually play games on the easiest setting ..... So, I'm all in favour of doing that if you want to! Same for those who want to play on a harder setting, of course
Hmm, difficulty is an interesting one. Depends on what I am looking to get out of the game. Trophies/Achievements on other platforms that require you to beat the game on a certain difficult, I will normally play on the higher difficulty. If there is nothing tied to it, I will play on the difficulty I feel comfortable with. Games like Zelda, I play on Hero-Mode where possible because I normally need the extra challenge in Zelda due to replaying them as often as I do (TP HD on Hero Mode with Ganondorf Amiibo is fun!). Puzzle games will normally also go on hard because I feel that is the whole point of the game. Other games I am not as familiar with, I will typically pick "Normal".
I try not to pick below "Normal" simply because for me sometimes it makes some in-game accomplishments feel hollow, but at the same time, I sympathise with not having enough time to play games, hence wanting an easier experience. What the author of this article mentioned about Dark Souls is also kind of true for me. I do try to get around to Dark Souls sometimes, but I find that in my limited time, I will go to another game that I think I am more likely to get through.
The problem is that sometimes we don't know what we want really. I remember when Sekiro came out the games media was wanting an easy mode and all games should have an easy mode. Then the FFVII remake came out and the media was complaining that easy mode was too easy. If a game is designed to have punishing gameplay (souls like games) then having an easy mode kinda defeats the purpose of those games.
It is great that if a game has an easy mode but if a game doesn't have an easy mode then sometimes you just have to play it through on the lowest difficulty it offers.
For me I always either play on Normal or Hard. There are exceptions where I would play on easy if there is a reason too (ie Metal gear solid 2 where are dog tags on each difficulty even on the same enemies).
The reason I play on normal or hard is that I find that if I play on easy I just get bored very easily and lose interest in the game more quickly.
Depends on the game I'm playing, there are some genres I'm just trash at and for many of the same reasons (ie busy life) I don't want to spend the time trying the same missions over and over. Platformers often don't have difficulty settings, but it's the genre I'm best at, so I'd play on the hardest setting if available, but usually there are optional challenges throughout the game I always partake in. RPGs I'm okay at, usually play on the normal difficulty, but I'm not afraid to reduce it if I'm struggling, often times I'm playing for the story anyway. FPS or other fast paced action games I wouldn't play if it weren't for an easy mode.
Don't explain yourself, play how you want.
For me, i'll always start a story-focused game like Uncharted or The Last of Us on Easy mode. If I go back for a second playthrough, i'll usually bump up the difficulty at least a little bit depending on 1.) How much better i feel I am at the game compared to when I started and 2.) if there are additional trophies or achievements to be gained. Most other games i'll just leave at their default difficulty.
I can't think of anything more boring and pointless than playing a video game on "easy." Stop playing so many video games and do some other things in your life if you run out of the Mario and Yoshi easy-type of games.
If you have an emotional reaction over how someone, someone you've never met, plays their game then you need therapy.
I play a lot of stuff on easy now because I don’t have time and my backlog will outlive me at this point. I don’t however think every game should have an easy mode (common complaint against souls/nioh games) if the difficulty is part of the gameplay mechanics rather the than just damage sponge. Also many games have terrible combat (action rpgs are prime suspects) and I don’t have time to fight the system. For them easy is a must. Not all games are created equal.
At the same time I do have certain games that I crank the difficulty because that tension is my happy place. Usually fighting games or action games with good systems.
I've recently taken to playing on easy, if not from the beginning of a game, then at least when I get to a point where I can't progress and frustration is replacing joy and jolting me from the immersion I seek when gaming. Also, when I'm playing a game like Jedi Fallen Order or Control, where I'm supposed to FEEL like a badass hero with amazing capabilities, dying over and over and over again kinda harshes that vibe. I don't want things to be TOO easy, because that's not fun, either, but a well-balanced easy mode that emphasizes the feel of being the protagonist and allows the narrative to progress smoothly is increasingly what I go for.
Yup. Old enough not to have time. I want to experience as much of the game as I can. I can still do that playing in easier modes. Been there, done that with spending days on a certain part of a level.
EZ mode is going to youtube and watching someone else play it while you hold a controller.
@nessisonett Well said!!! You captured how I feel about this article better then any other comment posted.
With a big backlog and being fairly old (50) I sometimes just want to get through a game and see all the story. It does depend on the game whether I still want a challenge, like The Last of Us 2 where I felt the world and story demanded a tough atmosphere
I have WeMod on PC and SaveWizard on PS4, for when "easy" is still wasting my time.
I care mostly about the digital art (world, characters) and the story at this point. Zero need to die 100 times to get to the next story arch.
This comment section has been a wild ride, nice way to gather more clicks by reposting a controversial article.
I will always play on the easiest mode, unless there is a trophy or achievement attached to it.
There is no way I would have stuck with Halo reach on a Legendary solo run if I wasn't chasing that achievement. Yes I'm aware that trophies and achievements are ultimately useless in the real world but it's fun being rewarded for doing stuff, and they are also a great way to call out those Elitist douch bags who are full of ego and s*** - so your a "hardcore" gamer are you, what's your tag so I can check your achievement list!
I absolutely agree with you, Chris.
I don't use easy mode, but I don't go beyond normal either. And definitely don't play twice in order to get achievements (or bragging rights) for beating New Game Plus or anything.
Also appreciate short games, much more than before the arrival of my 3 year old.
You're not alone.
I’m old so easy is still harder because my reflexes are rubbish. I also wanna play all of the games because I’m scared I’ll die and miss out 😀
45 is old. If you are 45 and don’t consider yourself old you are so wrong 😀
If I want to enjoy the story in a game, I will put it on easy and experience the story. There is nothing worse for a narrative than repeating the same part over and over and over and over again. Once you have completed the story there is nothing stopping you going back with a harder difficulty.
Being a 38 year old husband with two 4 year olds and having other time consuming hobbies (like dnd, board games) I am exactly the same boat. I am also in the same boat as a lot of gamers who have way more games than time. My back log is huge and growing because I hate to miss out on good deals and in my mind if I least own the game I am still participating in my favorite hobby. So for every game I manage to get to the ending I feel a huge victory.
With that said I have recently been trying to finish a number of games that I got stuck on and then dropped for other games by switching to the easiest setting. Before it felt like cheating or that I was giving up because my single gamer friends look down on playing on easy and always make a point to talk about how they beat the game on the hardest difficulty with iron man etc etc. Like in the article, there are still some games I will do hard or greater, like Divinity Original Sin 2, I will play it with the difficulty cranked all the way up with lone wolf. However I won't touch Dark souls for the same reason given in the article. Then there are games like Dragon Quest and xenoblade chronicles which are not hard games but I switch on easy so I can get through the games faster by eliminating the need for grinding.
I hate when games waste my time with boring tasks which is why I don't do MMRPGs. My time to game is after I get the kids to bed and hung out with my wife a bit or at the ass end of the day. If The game I am playing isn't engaging I am going to start to fall asleep or wonder why I am not doing something else. Perfect example is in Dragon Quest XI I am in a part of the game where I am supposed to aimlessly wonder the map looking for quest items with minimal guidance. Which I found one and now stuck on how to find the other so I moved to other games. I just don't want to spend the time questing for this stuff either in game or on the internet when I have other games to play. Xenoblade Chronicles is worse, much much worse I have only beaten 1/3 of games. Which hasn't stopped me from buying new ones. More Money then time and more impulse the restraint.
@Crimson_Ridley I’ve just read the comment you posted back in August and I wanted to thank you for being so candid. As someone who’s battled depression and chronic illness for years, and 22 years on, still not come to terms with the sudden death of my parents, I found your message to be pretty damn inspirational.
I wanted to write so much more, but after being really sick over Christmas, I tested positive for Covid today, and I feel like absolute garbage. My head’s a blurry mess, but I wanted you to know that reading your comment gave me the boost I needed today. Thanks, man.
Avoiding the obvious bait here, I've always considered "normal" or one notch up to be the "right" way to play. I think "normal" is what devs frequently tune the narrative experience towards and a notch up from there makes up for a few decades of experience. Higher difficulties often feel like a "game within the game" where you trade your super soldier or knight for a weakling who is as fragile (or moreso) than the NPCs around him/her. It depends on what exp. you're after.
Beyond that, anything that isn't vs another human (play fighting games, scrubs!) is always gonna wind up being easy at some point.
Tldr...
Shame! Shame! Shame!
@The_Pixel_King
Hey, thank you so much for your reply, that means a lot to me that my words have made a positive impact on you!
I hope you feel better soon, and keep trying to be as strong as you have been for all those years. I understand just how difficult it can be. As long as we know we're not alone in this world, even as strangers, we can find our feet to take those all important steps each day.
I wish you all the best!
I hope there's no shame in playing a game on SuperEasy, as I do in Alien Soldier. It's still plenty tricky that way. I find most games have a difficulty setting, usually normal, that feels just right. Sometimes easy feels better, and sometimes hard feels better. But it really is about the enjoyment. That isn't to say that every game developer needs to try to appeal to every gamer. And there are games I love that I can't seem to complete no matter what, but I can still enjoy them. And then there are games which aren't nearly as hard as they're made out to be. Truxton on MD/Genesis is one I prefer to play on easy. It's still quite tough, but beatable on the first loop. I know people have issue with arcade beat-em-up games because you can credit feed through them, but I love those games the most. I enjoy them enough to want to play well, but if I'm having a bad day and my skills are off, I can still have fun getting through it, which can get me through rough times. When I play those, it's simultaneously engaging and relaxing, which isn't the easiest thing with that era of games. I can get the same kind of engagement and enjoyment from something like Gran Turismo even if I fall way behind the field as long as I can run a decent lap for me.
I typically play on normal. There’s nothing wrong with playing on easy though. There are games, like TWEWY, where I will play on high difficulty for high reward , but those are typically the games I’m putting in extra hours on.
@scully1888 Wow, great article. I'm a little bit older than you and I can relate to EVERY word you've said. I'm feeling my age these days, and I never considered myself a casual gamer, but free time is no longer kind to me, so I ponder normal vs easy or hardcore vs casual modes far more than I used to when taking up a new game. I too "proved" myself from the pre-internet days of hardcore through about 37+ years of gaming, long before games even held your hand. Whether we're talking Battletoads, Zelda II:TAoL, SMB:TLL, Ikaruga, and tons more I don't have time to mention-- I've played my fair share and conquered them with prideful aplomb. I do still play normal for now, but I don't know how much longer I can. I want to smite that final boss sooner than later...see those credits roll. RPGs are painful in particular. It takes me months to a year these days. Sad to say I was pondering retiring from gaming until the Switch came out. I don't know what tomorrow holds. It's bittersweet, I'll tell you that much, but I've had my fun through the years. No regrets.
Personally I just like a game to go smooth. I used to enjoy more challenge, but these days, I want it to be a smooth experience. Dying breaks that. Dying a lot from overpowered enemies or respawning enemies in a room you just crossed, or constantly having to save or getting distracted in "minigames" (I'm looking at you, Bioshock2), can really break any joy in an otherwise great game.
@TheLightSpirit the joke passed you by, kiddo
@TheLightSpirit how is what I said not a joke?
and 42 year-olds can be stunted - sorry if you're offended.
EZ mode when Youtube didn't exist= watching your older sister play while you hold a controller.
this is also not a joke - serious as cancer and covid and the guy from Young Einstein
@TheLightSpirit I've done it myself before.
All is forgiven.
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